By Alen Kee
Eight Tawau nurseries ordered closed
TAWAU: The Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) outbreak in the district is under control with eight nurseries, including a kindergarten classroom, ordered closed by the Health Department to contain further spread of the disease that saw a sudden surge in the past one month in the country.
District health officer Dr G. Navindran said the district had nine outbreaks recorded and called on the public to practise cleanliness, especially for their children, as the disease affected children below the age of five.
He said the places were closed as the department wanted it and the surrounding areas to be cleaned and sanitized to prevent further spread of the HFMD and advised parents and schools to keep liquid soap for children to wash their hands after playing and before eating.
Navindran said parents played a big role in curbing HFMD from spreading and it was not fair to blame the schools as the disease was carried by virus and spread from touch.
“HFMD is caused by virus; there is no specific treatment. The best thing we can do is cleanliness; we all must be clean. Wash the whole nursery and kindergarten properly, especially the toilets must be clean, your compound must be clean and we encourage every school to have liquid soap for washing the hands before having food and after playing with friends after recess time,” he said yesterday.
He said the symptoms were rashes on the hands and fever, and advised parents or clinics to report any case to the department for record and to carry out checks.
Those infected should be given lots of water and rest and will recuperate within two weeks, he said.
Navindran said cleanliness was most important especially after going to the toilet and before eating, and added that the department would hold a talk on HFMD with all the kindergartens and nurseries on Saturday.