Measures stepped up to prevent widespread of hand, foot and mouth disease

BANGKOK, Jan 31 (TNA) -- Permanent Secretary for Public Health Dr Sopon Mekthon has ordered concerned health authorities to closely watch on day-care centres and kindergartens after finding more than 2,000 patients infected with hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in January, with most of them being children aged between 1 – 3. Dr Sopon said statistics released by the Ministry’s Disease Control Department showed that 2,010 patients in 74 provinces nationwide suffered from HFMD in January. Majority of the patients were from the North followed by the Central, the South and the Northeast, he said, adding that more than 73 per cent out of the total patients were children aged between 1 – 3. In 2015, a total of 40,517 HFMD patients were recorded nationwide and three died, Dr Sopon said. Health authorities had put efforts in controlling the disease from spreading between May-August which was the rainy season, but the number of patients continued to rise from last October until now and there were signs that the disease would widespread, especially in the North and upper South, until next month. Dr Sopon said HFMD could widespread on the cool weather while people neglected to wash their hands. The disease could become stronger in the South now due to the current rainy season in the region. (TNA)