The Malaysian authorities are now taking serious measures to contain the hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) as the number of occurrences have hit outbreak proportions, putting the country on alert level.
The number of cases first began ascending from the last week of April and compared to last week, there was an increase of 83 cases or 6.4%.
Selangor has the highest number of cases with 4,441 (32.6%), followed by Johor 1,393 (10.2%), Kuala Lumpur 1,317 (9.7%), Sabah 1,299 (9.5%) and Sarawak 1,108 (8.1%).
In Negri Sembilan, 12 nurseries and preschools have been closed for disinfection procedures to be carried out. The outbreak of the disease was also detected in six houses.
There are currently 18 affected spots, with nurseries and preschools in Taman Seri Pandan, Seremban, being some of the first affected areas. If the number of weekly cases exceed 20, the public will be warned.
HFMD, which is most commonly contracted by children, is incredibly contagious and caused by enteroviruses. The symptoms of the disease include fever, sore throat, rashes on the hands and feet, as well as mouth ulcers. Severe cases can result in other complications like meningoencephalitis or myocarditis and even death.
