HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Health has asked people across the country to take protective measures against hand, foot, and mouth disease after data from the ministry’s General Department of Preventive Medicine showed that over 2,100 people had contracted the disease in 57 localities this year. In Hà Nội, Nguyễn Thiện Hải, deputy head of the Việt Nam National Hospital of Pediatrics’ Infectious Diseases Department, told the Voice of Việt Nam (VoV) online newspaper that the hospital was treating several children with hand, foot, and mouth disease. Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a common viral illness that usually affects infants and children younger than five. This year, after hearing warnings from the ministry about the disease, Bình washed her daughter’s hands with soap and water and gave her salt-water mouth rinse several times every day, she said. Symptoms and treatmentHand, foot, and mouth disease is caused by viruses that belong to the Enterovirus genus (group), including polioviruses, coxsackieviruses, echoviruses, and enteroviruses.

Source: Viet Nam News February 15, 2017 02:00 UTC