Hand, foot and mouth disease cases more than tripled in days

Durban school principals spent Valentine's Day not on flowers and hearts but in a virtual training session with circuit managers on hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD).

The number of confirmed cases of the highly contagious viral infection has more than tripled.

The KwaZulu-Natal health department confirmed 36 cases on Thursday but by Saturday morning the number stood at 117.

The first six cases were reported among grades 1, 2 and 3 children at Lenham Primary School in Phoenix, north of Durban, between February 6 and 10.

By Thursday, more schools in Phoenix, Greenwood Park and Umhlanga reported cases.

An outbreak team from the provincial health department visited the nine affected schools to investigate.

“In all instances, the learners were found to be suffering from flu-like symptoms as well as blisters and swollen hands. The children’s parents were called by the school principal to come and pick them up,” said health departmental spokesperson Ntokozo Maphisa.

eThekwini municipality said another session was planned for healthcare workers this week.

“The city reassures the public that the situation is under control and emphasises the importance of seeking medical attention when needed. HFMD is a common illness affecting infants and young children, often occurring in small outbreaks during summer and autumn. It should not be confused with foot and mouth disease (FMD), which affects animals.”

University of KwaZulu-Natal pulmonology and critical care Prof Rubeshan Perumal told the Sunday Times small periodic outbreaks of HFMD, especially in day care facilities and primary schools, are common.

“Larger outbreaks would need to be confirmed and investigated by the departments of health and basic education. As the disease is usually mild and self-limiting, the most effective strategy is for sick individuals to stay away from school or home until their fever settles and the blisters resolve.

“Preventive measures, including hand washing and sanitising of high touch surfaces, are effective for limiting transmission.”

He also emphasised that HFMD in humans is unrelated to FMD. “It is often the confusion between these similarly named diseases that causes fear and panic.”

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) outbreak response team said HFMD was not a notifiable medical condition (NMC).

“As per the WHO, a disease outbreak is the occurrence of cases of disease in excess of what would normally be expected in a defined community, geographical area or season.

“There have been clusters of cases reported in KwaZulu-Natal in previous years. The NICD does not have access to the KZN health department data, as HFMD is not an NMC, to be able to comment if this incident would meet the definition of an outbreak.

“To date, we have only received verbal reports from eThekwini municipality regarding the current cluster of cases. The information we have is from the eThekwini team, who are conducting and co-ordinating the outbreak investigation and response to determine the existence of an outbreak and to provide health education and awareness,” said spokesperson Mandy Tsotetsi.

She said the virus responsible for causing most HFMD illnesses occurs commonly worldwide.

“The illness is usually mild and self-limiting, which means an affected individual will heal after seven to 10 days.”

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