Da Nang (VNS/VNA) - The central city of Da Nang is implementing preventivemeasures to control the spread of hand-foot-mouth (HFM) diseases as the numberof HFM infections has increased steadily in the region.

The Tropical MedicineDepartment of Da Nang Hospital for Woman and Children recently receivedbetween 70-80 HFM cases for treatment each day.

However, Dr Nguyen HaiThinh, Deputy Head of the Tropical Medicine Department, said there have been noserious cases with fatal complications.

“Currently, the numberof hospital beds in the department still ensures one child per bed," hesaid.

Nguyen Tam Lam, Head ofthe Infectious Diseases Prevention and Control Centre under the city’sDepartment of Health, said anti-epidemic teams were set up with qualified humanresources, equipment and chemicals.

“District-level healthcentres are asked to coordinate with the education and training department,parents and schools to strictly examine food safety,” he said.

Since the beginning ofthis year, the city recorded 1,300 cases of HFM disease, an increase of 200cases over the same period last year.

Nguyen Thi Thu Mo,mother of an 8-year-old patient who was treated as outpatient in the TropicalMedicine Ward, said her daughter was hospitalised five days ago with fever andrashes.

“I kept her at home fortwo days but the fever didn’t stop, so we took her to hospital,” Mo said. “Nowthe rash is okay, but she still has a fever”.

Dr Thinh said childreninfected with HFM disease often experience fever, loss of appetite, fatigue,sore throat, cough, abdominal pain and a rash on the skin.

“So when parents detectthese signs, they need to take the children to medical facilities immediately,”Thinh said.

Each year in Da Nang,there are two peaks of HFM disease: from March to May and from September toOctober.

The reoccurrence ofvirus Enterovirus 71 (EV71), a common cause of life-threatening illnesses forHFM patients, has made the disease dangerous and could easily spread into anoutbreak./.