Jakarta, IO – The Ministry of Health urges the public to remain alert to the potential for transmission of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD), known as Singapore flu, after the 2024 Eid al-Fitr holiday. This disease has a high transmission rate, even though it rarely causes serious illness.
“Human movement – when going home and returning home for Eid al-Fitr, especially via public transportation, has the potential to accelerate the spread, especially in babies and toddlers or under 5 years of age,” said Ministry of Health spokesperson, dr. Mohammad Syahril, Sp.P, MPH.
The Ministry of Health reported some 6,500 cases of HFMD, per 8 April 2024. Most of these occurred in children, and the majority were reported on Java, including West Java (2,119), followed by Banten (1,171), Yogyakarta (561), and Central Java (464).
“There is an increasing trend in HFMD cases. We have to be vigilant because people’s movements during reverse flows and the long Eid al-Fitr holiday have the potential to increase Singapore flu cases,” the pulmonologist from Sulianti Saroso Hospital, Jakarta, warned.
Symptoms of FHMD included fever; sore throat; feeling sick; painful, blister-like lesions on the tongue, gums and inside of the cheeks; a rash on the palms, soles and sometimes the buttocks, the rash is not itchy, but sometimes it has blisters; fussiness in infants and toddlers; and loss of appetite.
The public is advised to maintain personal health and proper hygiene, including washing hands with soap and running water and practicing coughing or sneezing etiquette. It is also recommended to avoid direct contact with infected people.
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Dengue Fever
Apart from HFMD, the Ministry of Health also noted that up to the 15th week of 2024, there were 62,000 cases of dengue fever, from which 475 died. Most cases were recorded in Tangerang Regency, with 2,540, followed by Bandung City (1,741), West Bandung Regency (1,422), Lebak Regency (1,326), and Depok City (1,252). Meanwhile, the districts/cities with the highest fatality rate were Bandung Regency with 25 deaths, Jepara Regency (21), Subang Regency (18), Kendal Regency (16), and Bogor Regency (13).
As the Aedes aegypty mosquito vector is the cause of dengue fever, dr. Syahril appealed to the public to actively eradicate mosquito nests and use mosquito nets when sleeping. Mosquitoes that cause dengue fever actively transmit the disease amidst seasonal changes in weather, estimated to continue until July 2024. (est)