The surge in hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) cases in Ho Chi Minh City is evident in recent hospital figures. On 13/10, Doctor Du Tuan Quy, Head of the Department of Infectious Diseases and Neurology at Children's Hospital 1, reported that the hospital was treating 68 children with HFMD as inpatients and saw 120 cases in outpatient clinics, including four severe cases. Approximately 42% of these patients were from Ho Chi Minh City, with the rest primarily from other provinces and cities.

Children's Hospital 2 also experienced a significant increase, reporting 1,611 examinations and 122 hospital admissions for HFMD in the past two weeks. In contrast, the previous month saw 2,222 examinations and 176 hospitalizations. The Department of Infectious Diseases, which previously admitted about 20-30 patients daily, now sees 40-50 children. Most hospitalized children are at grade 2A, with a small percentage at grade 2B; the hospital has not yet recorded any grade 3 or grade 4 (severe) cases.

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control (HCDC), the total cumulative number of hand, foot, and mouth disease cases from the beginning of the year until the end of week 40 is 38,463. Areas with high incidence rates, exceeding 100,000 residents, include Con Dao special zone, Binh Khanh commune, and Hiep Phuoc commune.

Hand, foot, and mouth disease typically increases in two waves annually: from March to May and from September to November. The current second wave coincides with children returning to school after summer vacation, leading to increased contact with peers in the school environment and raising the risk of transmission.

Children with severe hand, foot, and mouth disease are treated at Children's Hospital 1, with their limbs restrained to the bed to prevent agitation. *Photo: Le Phuong*

This period also marks the respiratory disease season, meaning some children may contract both hand, foot, and mouth disease and respiratory illnesses simultaneously. Tertiary children's hospitals have prepared facilities, medications, and treatment equipment, including ventilators, dialysis machines, and specialized techniques to manage severe cases, even for patients transferred from lower-level facilities.

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is caused by enteroviruses, commonly Enterovirus and Coxsackievirus, primarily affecting children under 5 years old, especially those under 3. The disease spreads through the digestive tract and contact with nasal and throat secretions, feces, blister fluid, or virus-contaminated objects. Children with the disease typically experience fever, sore throat, mouth ulcers, and blisters on the palms, soles, knees, buttocks, or around the fingers. They may also drool, lose appetite, be fussy, and have difficulty sleeping.

Doctor Quy advises parents to closely monitor the disease's progression, especially for warning signs of neurological, respiratory, and cardiovascular complications. Children should be taken to the hospital immediately if they have a persistent high fever of 39 degrees Celsius or higher, experience repeated startling, trembling limbs, unsteady gait, frequent vomiting, lethargy, difficulty breathing, or seizures.

Currently, there is no specific treatment for hand, foot, and mouth disease. Treatment primarily focuses on symptom relief, rehydration, ensuring adequate nutrition, and monitoring for signs of worsening. Children with complications require hospitalization for intensive treatment; for those with mild illness, parents can provide home care under a doctor's guidance.

To limit spread, parents should keep sick children home from school and avoid contact with healthy children. Frequent handwashing with soap for both children and caregivers, as well as sanitizing toys and contact surfaces, is crucial. Do not share personal items or pre-chew food for children. Children should be isolated according to healthcare workers' instructions and attend follow-up appointments as scheduled.

When children have mouth pain, parents should offer soft, liquid, easy-to-swallow foods, avoiding dishes that are too hot, spicy, or salty, which could increase discomfort. Do not self-medicate or rely solely on the extent of the rash to assess the disease's severity.