KUALA LUMPUR: Adults are also at risk of getting hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) despite more cases reported involving children.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Faculty of Medicine community health expert Prof Dr Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh said the HFMD outbreak has been considered endemic and has been around for a long time.
"If the transmission is not controlled, it will not only infect children but also adults.
"There are adults who consider HFMD symptoms such as fever; flu; cough and rash as common illnesses that do not require specific treatment.
"This causes some to still go out and about their daily activities without realising they are carriers.
"Rashes on the hands; feet and mouth are considered a common skin disease but there is a possibility it is a HFMD infection," she told Harian Metro today.
Dr Sharifa said the sharp rise in HFMD infections over the past few weeks could continue if preventive measures are not taken.
She said preventive measures such as closing schools or isolating patients must be done to prevent the spread.
On Tuesday, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the number of HFMD cases in the country increased 20 times with 47,209 incidents reported as of May 21 compared to only 2,237 cases for the same period last year.
Currently, Selangor recorded the highest cases of HFMD.
The majority of outbreak transmission locations occurred in nurseries, kindergartens and preschools at 711 cases or 61 per cent of the total cases, followed by private homes with 407 cases or 35 per cent and childcare centers recorded at 42 cases or three per cent.