Children being treated for hand-foot-mouth disease at the HCM City Paediatrics Hospital No. 1 in District 10. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — HCM City is seeing an increase in the incidence of hand-foot-mouth disease and dengue fever among children due to the recent hot weather and rains.

According to its Centre of Diseases Control (CDC), hospitals have recorded 779 HFMD cases in the week ending June 25, more than double the average number in the previous four weeks.

The number of inpatients was up 1.8 times.

In the same period, 197 dengue fever cases were reported in the city, an 18 per cent increase from the previous four weeks.

The number of children hospitalised with dengue fever increased 11.4 per cent.

Fortunately, no deaths have been recorded due to either outbreak.

But the number of cases since the beginning of the year fell in both diseases: There were 3,736 cases of HFMD, a decline of 47.7 per cent, and 8,298 cases of dengue fever, a 53.2 per cent drop.

Dr Dư Tuấn Quy, head of the HCM City Paediatrics Hospital No. 1’s infectious and nervous diseases department, said HFMD symptoms are similar to those of dengue for the first three days, and the disease is often mistaken for dengue.

Many children also contract both diseases at the same time, he said.

The city has instructed the healthcare sector to take drastic measures to prevent further outbreaks of the diseases, and keep the number of severe cases and deaths as low as possible.

HCM City CDC has instructed medical facilities and schools to continue with disease prevention measures, and urged the public to take preventive measures.

Families with children under five years old should routinely wash the latter’s hands with soap under running water, and clean surfaces and tools they come into contact with, it said.

In case of signs of illness, children should be taken to the nearest medical facility, it said.

Parents have to keep a close eye on children and rush them to hospital if they show signs of serious illness such as high fever, constant crying, rapid pulse, and weakness. — VNS