ProMED-mail |

Published Date: 2011-08-26 10:38:04
Subject: PRO/MBDS> Hand, foot & mouth disease - Thailand
Archive Number: 20110826.2596

HAND, FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE - THAILAND
***************************************

A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org

Date: Thu 25 Aug 2011
Source: Chulalongkorn University, Information Center for Emerging
Infectious Diseases [in Thai, trans. Mod.SCM, edited]
http://www.cueid.org/content/view/4982/1/

Dr Suwannachai Wattanayingcharoenchai, deputy director-general of the
Disease Control Department revealed that there have been more than 7000
cases and 2 deaths due to hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) in 2011. It is
important to increase surveillance for HFMD in 2011 because there were
no deaths reported from HFMD in the past 5 years in Thailand. In
addition, the laboratory results showed that most patients were infected
with enterovirus 71 instead of coxsackie A virus as usual. The war room
for HFMD is set up for monitoring and evaluating the HFMD situation closely.

The Ministry of Public Health is coordinating with the Ministry of
Education in emphasizing on paying more attention to small children. If
parents or caretakers notice their children have fever, cough, asthma,
and ulcers in mouths or rashes on palms or soles, they should bring
their children to see a doctor as soon as possible.

--
Communicated by:
PRO/MBDS
<promed-mbds@promedmail.org>

[Hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) is one of the enterovirus infectious
syndromes. The commonly found virus is coxsackie A16 virus. Other
viruses, for example other coxsackie A, coxsackie B, echovirus, and
enterovirus 71 (EV71) can also be the cause of the disease. The symptoms
are fever, spots or an inflamed rash in the mouth normally found on
tongue, gum, and at the bulge of the cheek. On the palms, fingers, and
soles the red rash will turn into transparent blisters with redness
around the blisters.

In Thailand, HFMD is commonly found, but not serious. Most of those
infected do not show symptoms. Other patients show mild symptoms and can
recover by themselves within 7-10 days. Deaths rarely occur. The risk of
more severe symptoms is greater in infants and young children than in
older children (see
http://beid.ddc.moph.go.th/eng/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=142&Itemid=137).

According to the Thai Ministry of Public Health, Bureau of
Epidemiology's (BOE) report on cases and deaths of diseases under
surveillance by province, Thailand, available at
http://www.boe.moph.go.th/boedb/surdata/506wk/y54/d71_3354.pdf (in
Thai), a total of 8405 cases and 2 deaths were reported from 76
provinces between 1 Jan 2011 and 22 Aug 2011. The attack rate was 13.23
per 100 000 population. The deaths were reported in Chaiyaphum (1 death)
in August 2011 and Nakhon Ratchasima (1) provinces in July 2011. The
newswire above mentions that the infections in most patients in 2011
were caused by enterovirus 71 (EV71) so the symptoms were quite severe
compared to those caused by coxsackievirus.

High attack rates (per 100 000 population) were reported in the 5
provinces of Samut Songkhram (43.38), Rayong (36.11), Chiang Rai
(31.30), Phatthalung (31.12), and Prachin Buri (29.23). The central
region has the highest attack rate (per 100 000 population) of HFMD
(19.20), followed by the north (15.98), northeastern (8.44) and south
(6.71) regions.

On 15 Aug 2011, the Viet Nam Ministry of Health announced that there is
an HFMD epidemic in Viet Nam. A total of 32 588 people in 52 cities and
provinces of Viet Nam contracted HFMD and among those 81 died (see
PRO/MBDS Hand, foot & mouth disease - Viet Nam (10) 20110816.2482).

For maps showing Thailand's regions, see
http://www.thailand-map.net/thailand_provinces/; for provinces, see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provinces_of_Thailand. For the
interactive HealthMap/ProMED-mail map of Thailand with links to other
recent ProMED-mail and PRO/MBDS postings, see
http://healthmap.org/r/00cC. - Mod.SCM]

See Also