Malaysia records 31661 HFMD (foot and mouth disease) cases

Malaysia has recorded 31,661 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease
(HFMD) - 15 times the amount that was recorded within the same
period last year (https://bit.ly/3aacHpN).
Last year, the country only recorded 2,121 in the same epidemiology
week report.
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham in a statement today
said 1,676 HFMD cases were recorded in the previous epidemiology
week report compared to this week’s staggering 7,526 cases which
is a 349 per cent increase.
“In 2022, until May 14, Selangor contributed the largest number of
cases compared to other states with 8,864 cases (28 per cent)
followed by Kuala Lumpur & Putrajaya 4,421 cases (14 per cent),
Sabah 2,650 cases (8 per cent), Perak 2,638 cases (8 per cent) and
Kelantan 2,493 cases (7.9 per cent) while other states around or
less than 1,500 cases,” he said.
He said that a total of 889 outbreaks were reported in Malaysia where
the three highest states with recorded outbreaks were Kuala Lumpur
and Putrajaya which is 309 outbreaks (35 per cent), followed by
Selangor with 111 outbreaks (12 per cent), and Perak 105 outbreaks
(12 per cent).
Dr Noor Hisham said that the majority of outbreak locations occurred
in kindergartens/ nurseries/ pre-schools with 575 outbreaks
(65 per cent) followed by private homes with 305 outbreaks
(34 per cent), and also childcare centres with 27 outbreaks
(three per cent).
He said that HFMD is related to personal hygiene and able to rapidly
spread within kids below 10 years of age with 100 per cent infection
rate.
Rise in dengue cases
The ministry also reported a 45.2 per cent increase of dengue cases
with 14,725 cumulative cases compared to 10,139 cases in the same
period last year.
Dr Noor Hisham also said that Malaysia recorded nine deaths from
dengue cases which is four more compared to 2021.
“Terengganu recorded the highest increase in the percentage of cases
with 164.7 per cent, followed by Labuan 150 per cent, Kedah 137.8
per cent, Negri Sembilan 71.4 per cent, Selangor 42.6 per cent, Sabah
40.8 per cent, Kelantan 27.1 per cent, Perak 26.4 per cent, Kuala
Lumpur and Putrajaya 14.3 per cent, Sarawak 13.7 per cent, and Penang
3.4 per cent, while in the states of Perlis, Melaka, Johor, and
Pahang recorded a decrease in the percentage of cases compared
to 2021,” he said.