Health authorities of Vietnam have recorded around 60 deaths out of total 20,000 people affected by hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) since early this year, the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City said. The information was released at a meeting to assess the disease prevention and treatment in the southern region where is considered as a hot spot of the disease with 50 deaths in the period. The majority of HFMD patients are from Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Long An and Tien Giang provinces. The disease infection in HCM City is rising at an alarming rate with nearly 6,000 cases since beginning of the year, including 21 deaths while it recorded only one death in the whole 2010. The outbreak was caused by a new etiological agent, Enterovirus 71 (EV71) of the sub-genotype C4 which causes severe complications as well as relapse in many children who have been cured, experts said. The Health Ministry’s Drug Administration has also asked health departments, producers, traders and importers to supply enough medicines for treating HFMD suffers amid the disease outbreak. The best way to prevent the disease is to frequently clean and disinfect surfaces and items around houses and schools since there is no vaccine or specific treatment for the contagious viral illness. (Phap Luat TP.HCM July 22 p2, Lao Dong July 22 p1, Sai Gon Giai Phong July 22 p7)
