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| We often see children and sometimes adults with Hand, Foot and Mouth, HFM, due to Coxsackie virus. They have little blisters and reddish rash in the mouth, hands, feet and buttocks. As this type of virus does not affect the heart and other vital organs, they recover within a week. Today, the mass media report that up to 30 September 2000, there are 185 cases of HFM disease in Johore state. On the other side of the causeway, Singapore records 408 cases since 1 October 2000. Since the outbreak in Singapore, Johore state Government has said that it pays attention to the spread of the disease. In unhygienic conditions, the virus is transmitted through faeces. Health Minister Datuk Chua Jui Meng has issued statements on preventive measures and has warned private hospitals that they should not take the easy way out by sending patients to government hospitals when they are unable to treat them. However, we do not know what actually happened to the three-year-old boy who died on 3 October 2000. Did he really have HFM disease? What was the strain | of virus? What is the strain of virus in the Singapore epidemic? What is the strain in Johore? We hope the Health Minister can answer them. We suspect that the epidemic in Singapore and Johore is due to a strain of Enterovirus that is a Picornavirus. Enterovirus infects stomach and intestines, spreading through infected faeces. They include Poliovirus, Coxsackievirus, and Echovirus. In 1998, the epidemic in Sarawak was mainly due to Enterovirus 71. Similarly, the outbreak in Taiwan was due to the same strain of virus. Among other things, this virus affected the heart of infants, some of whom died. Datuk Chua attributed the Sarawak epidemic to Coxsackievirus. He insists on Coxsackie. Many people still speak of Coxsackie. Nevertheless, it was proven to be Enterovirus 71. Since different strains of Enterovirus have different effects on children, we believe that the Health Minister should announce the strain of virus causing the epidemic. So far, he has only mentioned HFM disease. Is he waiting for the laboratory confirmation? Dr Tan Seng Giaw | Statement by Dr Tan Seng Giaw, DAP National Vice-Chairman and MP for Kepong on the fear of the public towards the HFM epidemic. 7 October 2000 | |||||
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