PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):--- The Collective Prevention Services (CPS), a department within the Sint Maarten Ministry of Public Health, Social Development & Labor, is calling on the community, particularly parents and guardians, daycare centers, playschools, and primary school communities, to continue to take preventive measures to mitigate Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD).
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), in its latest epidemiological alert for HFMD, called on Member States to strengthen the prevention and control, especially in children, due to their high vulnerability and the risk of serious complications in the central nervous system.
HFMD is a common but very contagious viral illness that usually affects infants and children five years of age or younger. It can sometimes occur in adults. There is no vaccine to protect against the viruses that cause hand, foot, and mouth disease.
Symptoms of HFMD include fever, sore throat, mouth sores, and a skin rash commonly on the hands and feet. Sometimes, the rash can develop into painful blisters. Most children may have mild symptoms for seven to 10 days.
HFMD is spread from person to person through nose and throat secretions (such as saliva, sputum, or nasal mucus), blister fluid, or stool of infected persons. When handling secretions, it is advisable to take the necessary preventive measures, such as wearing gloves and washing your hands afterward.
People with symptoms should consult their house doctor and take necessary preventive measures to mitigate an increase in cases.
To lower your risk of being infected with HFMD, wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after changing diapers and using the toilet, disinfecting dirty surfaces and soiled items, including toys. If soap and water are not available, use alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Wash items with soap and water and then disinfect them with a solution of chlorine bleach; and avoid close contact such as kissing, hugging, thumb-sucking, nail-chewing, or sharing eating utensils or cups with infected persons.
Daycare centers and pre-schools can take a number of preventative measures, such as wiping down surfaces. All toys and surfaces are wiped down after playtime, washed, and disinfected.
Daycare centers should use disposable gloves and have protocols for sanitizing hands and changing areas from one child to the next.
Parents/guardians who have a child exhibiting any symptoms of HFMD and who have an appointment with the Baby Wellness Clinic are hereby requested to call (721) 542-3003 or (721) 520-4163 to reschedule their child's appointment.
HFMD is not the same as foot and mouth disease, which affects cattle, sheep, and pigs. The two infections are unrelated, and you cannot catch hand, foot, and mouth diseases from animals.
For more information, call CPS at 914 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
