BANGKOK, 11 June 2013 The Public Health Ministry is warning all Thais, especially children, against hand-foot and-mouth disease as Thailand has entered the rainy season, during which the disease can spread widely and quickly.
Public Health Minister Pradit Sintavanarong said, as Thailand entered the monsoon season of the year, many different diseases could easily arise, especially the hand,foot,and mouth disease, which could be found mostly in children. The minister has, therefore, issued warnings to all schools nationwide.
3 measures need to be taken seriously. Firstly, all schools need to make sure the whole campus is clean, including classrooms, kitchens, restrooms, and all equipment in the school. Secondly, he says teachers need to check students’ health regularly, especially blisters and rashes on students’ hands, feet, and mouths. And lastly, teachers and students need to be educated and informed about the viral infection.
According to Dr. Pornthep Siriwanarungsun, Director of Department of Disease Control, those who have hand, foot, and mouth disease would experience fever at least 1-2 days before developing fever blisters in the mouths. However, they would fully recover within a week’s time, and only few of them would experience high fever, fatigue, and seizures.
The director said there is no treatment that will take away the virus, but patients should be treated as if they had a common cold.
