The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) urged households with young children and childcare centers and kindergartens to strengthen hygiene management, citing a sharp rise in hand, foot and mouth disease cases over the past four weeks.
According to sample surveillance results from 93 clinic-level medical institutions nationwide, the KDCA said on the 10th that the suspected case rate for hand, foot and mouth disease in the 27th week (June 29 to July 5) reached 19.4 per 1,000 people. That is about 2.2 times higher than the 8.9 recorded in the 24th week, and a 54% increase from the previous week (26th week). In particular, the suspected case rate among infants and young children aged 0 to 6 was 27.2 per 1,000, higher than in other age groups. Since hand, foot and mouth disease typically spreads through the fall, cases are expected to continue rising for some time.
Hand, foot and mouth disease is an acute viral illness caused by enterovirus infections such as coxsackievirus A16. It occurs mainly in infants and young children under age 5, and can be transmitted through direct contact with a patient's feces, saliva, phlegm, nasal discharge, or blister fluid, or by touching contaminated objects.
Fever, sore throat and loss of appetite appear first, followed by a rash inside the mouth and on the hands and feet one to two days later. Most cases improve after three to four days and recover within seven to 10 days, but in rare cases they can lead to complications such as meningitis or encephalitis, so hospital treatment is needed if symptoms worsen.
The KDCA emphasized compliance with personal hygiene rules, including handwashing after going out, before and after meals, and before and after changing diapers, to prevent infection. It advised childcare centers, kindergartens and schools to strengthen the disinfection of frequently touched surfaces such as toys and doorknobs and of shared items, along with handwashing education. In particular, given the disease's strong transmissibility, it recommended refraining from attending school and using multi-use facilities such as kids cafes and swimming pools until blisters have fully healed.
"As cases are increasing among infants and young children, childcare facilities and schools should thoroughly manage hygiene, including handwashing and disinfecting items, and should ensure that infected children and students return to school only after they have fully recovered," KDCA Commissioner Lim Seung-kwan said.
