Bangkok (AsiaNews / Agencies) -
Panic is mounting in the province of Rayong following the the suspicious death
of a Cambodian-born child, which may be related to hand foot mouth disease (HFMD). In
different areas of the east coast of Thailand fears are growing of a possible
epidemic, and the authorities are taking action to contain any spread of the virus.
Krit
Palasuth, public health official in the area, explains that the two and a half
year-old infant died July 25 in the emergency department two hours after
admission to hospital in Klaeng, located in the homonymous district.
Local
medical sources say that the child came to the hospital with breathing difficulties,
fatigue and blisters on his hands and feet. His
parents point out that in the days before the baby developed a high fever,
accompanied by sores on his arms and legs. They had brought him to hospital
twice his last admission, but the situation did not improve.
Health
authorities are investigating whether the death is linked to Enterovirus-71, or
EV-71, while three other children who were in close contact with the child are under
observation as a precaution, after developing symptoms similar to HFMD. The
child may have contracted the virus from a little friend who was also from
Cambodia, recently returned to Thailand after visiting the country. In
fact, the authorities in Phnom Penh have recently launched a prevention
campaign to avert an epidemic, after dozens of cases and fatalities.
The
Thai authorities are preparing a department to "fight" the virus and
prevent outbreaks of hand foot mouth disease. Today
a prevention campaign against the disease has started throughout the province
of Rayong, as well as sterilization campaign to prevent infections. It
seems that there are several other confirmed cases of EV-71 infection and civil
servants may be ordered to close schools.
Last
June HFMD killed 17 people and infected at least 35 thousand in the central Chinese
province of Hunan. The
disease is caused by intestinal viruses, mainly affecting infants and children
and is contagious. It
spreads through direct contact with mucus, saliva, or feces of an infected
person, and is common in nurseries and kindergartens. The
most common symptoms are the presence of vesicles and bubbles near the mouth,
palms of hands and soles of the feet. Other
symptoms that precede the manifestation of the disease include sore throat and
fever, while the occurrence of headaches and nausea is rarer.