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According to the infectious disease surveillance system from early 2021 to May 2021, our whole country has recorded more than 17,450 cases of infection, 4 times more than the same period last year, of which 4 children have died. dead.

The disease spread in all 63 provinces, especially the infection rate, the number of cases increased, and many severe cases occurred, mainly in the southern provinces. In Ho Chi Minh City alone, according to the Center for Disease Control, the number of children suffering from hand, foot and mouth disease is increasing rapidly, 2.5 times higher than the same period last year (according to March 2021). The numbers are alarming!

According to experts, the disease is forecasted to continue to grow stronger in mid-April to the end of May, especially when the weather is turning into summer, the hot and humid climate creates conditions for the disease to spread quickly, especially Especially during the holidays and summer vacations, parents often take their children to crowded and fun places, neglecting to maintain hygiene and prevent diseases for children.

Hand, foot and mouth disease is an acute infectious disease, the most susceptible subjects are children under 5 years old. Currently, there is no vaccine for the disease, and it is extremely dangerous if not treated promptly, not only affecting life but also life. It is also easy to leave many neurological complications such as encephalitis, encephalitis, meningitis, …, and other complications of cardiovascular, respiratory, even death.

The mistake of parents is to think that hand, foot and mouth disease will not recur, and wait until the child has obvious symptoms such as sores in the mouth, and red spots. When the water starts to develop a rash on the skin on the hands and feet, accompanied by a high fever that does not go down, lethargy, just taken to medical facilities, the disease is likely to have begun to worsen.

According to the Ministry of Health and Children’s Hospital I, Ho Chi Minh City, children can get Hand, Foot and Mouth disease many times because there is currently no vaccine, the ability to create antibodies against the virus that causes the disease in young children. is very weak, each infection, produces only a small amount of antibodies to a certain virus, and over time is not enough to protect the child. When a child is infected with another virus in the Enterovirus group (there are more than 10 other strains), there is a high chance that the child will get the disease again.

Signs of hand, foot and mouth disease are divided into stages and levels, but typically, the initial symptoms will be as follows:

• Fatigue, low-grade fever (38 – 38.5 degrees Celsius), sore throat, runny nose for several days. This is the earliest symptom.
• Then, blisters appear on the oral mucosa, on the inside of the cheeks, gums, and on the side of the tongue; The vesicles are small (2 – 3mm) located on a red inflamed mucosal background.
• The blisters in the mouth burst very quickly, creating sores, burning pain, continuing to appear on the feet, hands, and in some cases, the buttocks.

However, not all infected cases have obvious signs of the disease, only mouth ulcers, or unclear blisters, just spots or erythema, leading parents to often confuse them with other diseases. other disease. Consequences, severe disease, and unpredictable complications.

Another important note, adults can still get hand, foot and mouth disease, the danger is difficult to recognize, and the symptoms are easily confused with other diseases, especially skin diseases. Second, adults often have a subjective mentality when thinking that this disease is mild, but forget that they can be a source of infection for children in the process of taking care of them.

Proactive disease prevention is always the best method, Hand, foot and mouth is no exception:

• Personal hygiene, frequent hand washing in adults and children
• Regularly disinfect objects and surfaces in places where children often touch and hold
• Ensure food hygiene
• Make sure the living environment is always clean
• Avoid, do not let children come into contact with sick people, or disease sources
• Cover your mouth when sneezing, coughing, actively wear a mask

In addition to the above recommendations, parents need to closely monitor their children, to quickly detect the initial manifestations of the disease and take timely action.

Especially supplementing nutrients, helping children strengthen resistance, improve the immune system. According to the Ministry of Health, hand, foot and mouth disease is often more severe in children under the age of 5, due to weak resistance.