Health Protection Agency (HPA) has urged the public to be vigilant against the spread of hand, foot and mouth disease in the Maldives. HPA expressed concern over the rapid spread of hand, foot and mouth disease in the Greater Male' Region and in some atolls.
Speaking to PSM News, a Pediatrician at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) Dr. Ahmed Faisal said that the disease is not life-threatening, adding the disease is most common in children. He also said that the disease has some of the same symptoms as a common cold but children are more likely to go into shock if they are both dehydrated and have a high fever.
Additionally, Dr. Faisal explained some of the ways to detect dehydration in children with this disease. He said that it is a sign of dehydration if they cannot urinate for at least eight hours. In addition, he said to beware of dry mouth, discoloration when urinating or rarely going to the bathroom, and lack of tears when crying. He also said that the disease is spread by a common cold and usually causes mouth sores and rashes on the hands and feet. He said the rashes usually disappear within a week, adding that there is a possibility of spreading the disease from one child to another before the rashes disappear completely. He also said the disease can be transmitted more than once with different variants. Therefore, he urged the public to pay attention to general hygiene.