2024-07-29 10:05:21
Hand, foot and mouth disease has been the most prevalent disease among infants and toddlers (0-6 years old) in the past 10 years.
On the 29th, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency announced that the rate of hand, foot and mouth disease patients per 1,000 outpatients among infants and toddlers was 78.5 as of the third week of July (July 14-20).
This surpasses the previous record high of 77.6 people in 2019. It is a significantly higher figure compared to the past 10 years.
Most patients with hand, foot, and mouth disease are infants and toddlers under the age of 18. The number of patients per 1,000 people is 78.5 for those aged 0 to 6 and 18.2 for those aged 7 to 18.
The main cause of hand, foot, and mouth disease is known to be the Coxsackie virus, but there are many different types of viruses, so it can be caused by several different types of viruses. For this reason, even if you have had hand, foot, and mouth disease before, you can get it again if the causative virus is different.
Hand, foot, and mouth disease is characterized by rashes and blisters on the hands, feet, and mouth. It can be transmitted through contact with feces, etc., or respiratory secretions such as saliva, phlegm, and nasal mucus of the patient. Infection is also possible through hands and mouth that touch contaminated objects that the patient has touched, so it occurs mainly in infants and young children who have poor personal hygiene and live in groups.
Typically, when you contract hand, foot and mouth disease, you will experience fever, loss of appetite, sore throat, and weakness for 2 to 3 days after the onset of the disease, but these symptoms will improve and disappear on their own within 7 to 10 days.
In some cases, it can cause serious complications, so if you have a high fever of 38 degrees or higher, weakness in your limbs, vomiting, or convulsions, you should quickly visit a medical institution.
In addition, there is no separate vaccine for hand, foot, and mouth disease. In households where there is a patient, thorough hygiene management is necessary, such as washing hands after caring for the patient, and care must be taken to prevent infection among family members.
Health authorities have recommended that infants and young children with hand, foot and mouth disease refrain from attending daycare centers or kindergartens until they have fully recovered, as the disease is highly contagious.
Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency Ji Young-mi said, “Since there is no vaccine for hand, foot, and mouth disease yet, it is important to follow preventive measures such as proper hand washing to prevent infection,” and added, “We ask that childcare facilities for infants and toddlers thoroughly manage hygiene, such as washing hands and disinfecting items including toys.”
Kim Ye-seul, Donga.com reporter [email protected]
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2024-07-29 10:05:21