Managing hand, foot and mouth disease

An increase in hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) has been reported in past few weeks in Dhaka city. A number of schoolgoing children especially in the city are suffering from this. Many parents are very anxious and do not know what to do. The symptoms are very much like the common cold with sore throat, fever and runny nose. A day or two after the fever, painful sores develop in the tonsils. Rashes and red spots are developed on the palms and other parts of the body. But the rashes are not itchy. It is a highly infectious disease. It spreads by close skin contact, sneezing, or by coming in contact with the stool of the infected child. While children below five years of age are prone to be affected by it, teenagers and adults have also been seen infected by this disease. Schools are the places where the spread is maximum.
HFMD is a common, viral and self-limiting disease. As a parent, you just need to take care of your child by providing them with nutritious food and drinks and maintain good hygiene. If your child has sore throat, fever, and rash, do not send them to school. Washing hands frequently can be a good practice. Though troubling symptoms can occur, generally, it is not a dangerous disease and hospitalisation is rarely required. It takes about a week to become non-infectious. By the time the fever has gone, the skin lesions would have dried. So, the parents do not need to worry much. But they have to be careful about their school-going children.

Afroza Sheikh,
Dania, Dhaka,
ilcbd2008@gmail.com