Dengue, HFMD cases on the rise, says Dr Noor Hisham
By Srisasithaaran Parameshwaren
PUTRAJAYA (MAY 5) :According to Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, the number of dengue cases in the country has increased from 967 cases in epidemiological week (EW) 16/2022 to 1,021 cases in EW 17/2022.
He said that between April 24 and 30 (EW 17/2022), an increase of 54 cases (5.6%) was observed, increasing the overall number of dengue cases to 12,942 cases with seven deaths related to dengue, he stated in a statement on Thursday.
Dr. Noor Hisham went on to say that the Health Ministry had noticed a significant increase in hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) cases in the country, with 22,463 instances registered until EW 17/2022.
He claimed the figures were up 12.8 times from the same period in 2021, when only 1,752 cases were reported.HFMD predominantly afflicted children aged 6 and under, according to Dr. Noor Hisham, with 21,508 cases, 729 cases involving children aged seven to twelve, and the balance involving children aged thirteen and up as stated in The Star
HFMD is a viral infection caused by the Coxsackie A16 and Enterovirus 71 (E71) viruses, which transmit through direct contact with infected people’s nasal mucus, saliva, blisters, and faeces.
During EW 17/2022, 767 HFMD cases were reported in three states, with the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya reporting the most instances, followed by Selangor and Perak.
Dr. Noor Hisham also recommended the public to keep their homes free of dengue breeding sites by cleaning or discarding any unneeded water containers in order to assist prevent the spread of the disease as published in The Star.
“Medical professionals should ensure that patients with a persistent fever get a full blood count on the third day.
“Patients must be provided a dengue alert card and a dengue combination test if they are suspected of being infected with dengue based on clinical characteristics and blood tests, he said.
In the case of HFMD, parents of small children should take precautions such as washing their hands before using the restroom, preparing meals, and changing diapers.Parents should avoid bringing children with symptoms to crowded public locations such as swimming pools, marketplaces, and shopping malls, according to Dr. Noor Hisham.
He added the MOH has enabled new infectious disease detection features in the MySejahtera app to track instances other than COVID-19, such as rabies, dengue, and chicken pox, as a proactive move to halt the spread of infectious diseases.
“These features will help the public better arrange their daily activities and travel,” Dr. Noor Hisham remarked as stated in The Star.
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