Team Herald
MARGAO: Doctors are reporting an outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) among infants and toddlers in Goa, with cases steadily on the upswing since schools reopened in June. Schools have warned parents to watch out for the telltale lesions, and keep their kids at home if they develop a fever. Two schools around Margao even shut their pre-primary sections for a couple of days last week, in an attempt to break the chain and stop the spread among their students.
The viral infection is has put the governments of several South East Asian countries, New Zealand and Australia on high-alert for cases of HFMD in travellers returning from Indonesia, even as the island nation is currently witnessing the worst outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease in cattle, with around 400,000 hoofed animals believed to be infected across the country. The infection is relatively mild in humans, but could be deadly l in cattle, and could prove economically devastating to the dairy and meat industry.
“Hand, foot and mouth disease has been prevalent in Goa for the past five years, but we have never seen this many cases in one month; this seems like an outbreak. HFMD now accounts for around 20% of my patients,” says Dr Suhel Nagarsenkar, paediatrician at Margao’s Classic Hospital, where he sees at least 100 children in the OPD every day.
“Now that children are back in schools and mingling freely, the infection seems to be spreading very quickly. While most cases are mild and pass within a week, we have hospitalised quite a few children with complications like convulsions and dehydration, especially infants, as they stop feeding due to the mouth ulcers,” he adds. Babies often get exposed to the virus through their school-going siblings, he added. “Unlike chicken pox, children can contract HFMD more than once, as it does not provide lifelong immunity,” says Dr Nagarsenkar.
“Several children in my daughter’s class have caught the disease, and a few of her friends have already been absent for more than a week. Her school declared two days’ holiday around the 5th and 6th, before the heavy rains began. Teachers told us it was to break the chain of the infection,” said a parent from Margao, whose child goes to Presentation convent. Sources say several kindergarten and nursery schools shut for up to four days in the past two weeks, and Vidya Vikas School declared a day’s holiday as well.
Following Covid safety protocols like hand hygiene and wearing a mask is the best way to contain the disease, says Dr Gordon Martins, a paediatrician at Goa Medical College.
“Adults do not get infected, but can carry the virus back home to their kids. The infection can cause complications in children who are weak, or have underlying conditions like eczema,” he said. While the infection usually passes within ten days, it is better to isolate sick children until the blisters heal completely, Dr Martins said.
The red lesions are often mistaken for chicken pox, and it is essential to consult a doctor, he said. “To prevent a secondary bacterial infection, parents need to be alert and ensure that the children consume plenty of fluids, and healthy food,” Dr Martins added.