Hand, foot and mouth disease still present in Bangkok

THAILAND - Bangkok residents have been cautioned against the spread of hand, foot and mouth disease among young children, with up to 11,000 people nationwide contracting the disease from January to June.

Dr Wanthani Wattana, director of Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's Health Office, said up to 1,676 patients in Bangkok had fallen to the disease, but no lives had been lost.

Of the total, 84 per cent of infected people were 0-4 years old, 13 per cent were 5-9 years old and one per cent were over 10 years.

Wanthani said the disease usually spreads in areas where young children stay together, such as in schools, and often during the rainy season. She said a highly populated city like Bangkok was a higher risk of the disease as body contact in public places such as bus stops and department stores may help spread the germs leading to the disease.

She said a drug that effectively cures the disease has yet to be found and patients are treated according to their symptoms.