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10 HFMD clusters identified in childcare centres and kindergartens: MOH

(Getty Images file photo)
(Getty Images file photo)

A total of 10 childcare centres and kindergartens have been identified as active hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) clusters, up from eight last Friday (10 Aug).

In an update on its website on Wednesday, the Ministry of Health (MOH) listed eight childcare centres with active HFMD clusters: Skool4Kidz at Sengkang Riverside, NTUC’s My First Skool at Punggol Drive, Lorong 5 Toa Payoh and Edgefield Plains, PAP Community Foundation’s PCF Sparkletots at Queenstown Community Centre and Yishun Street 81, Global Child Development Centre in Tampines and MY World in Ang Mo Kio.

The two kindergartens listed were St James’ Church Kindergarten at Harding Road and St Paul’s Church Kindergarten at Upper Serangoon Road.

An active HFMD cluster is considered active when it has more than 10 cases reported or with an attack rate higher than 13 per cent and a transmission period of more than 16 days. The attack rate refers to the percentage of HFMD cases relative to the total enrolment of a school.

The week of 29 July to 4 August saw 1,249 cases, the highest reported cases in a week this year, and almost 1.5 times the 868 cases in the same period last year, according to statistics released by the MOH.

(GRAPHIC: MOH)
(GRAPHIC: MOH)

Statistics released by the MOH on Wednesday showed that following week – the week of 5 to 11 August – saw a total of 1,106 cases, almost 1.6 times the 694 cases in the same period last year. In comparison, the weekly median for 2013 to 2017 was 576.

HFMD is spread through direct contact with the nasal discharge, saliva, faeces, and fluids from the rash of an infected person. There is no specific treatment or vaccine for HFMD, and parents are typically advised to keep their children who are infected at home and away from public places.

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