By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) health MEC Nomagugu Simelane has provided an update on the rise in Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) cases in the province.
Simelane visited Lenham Primary School in Phoenix, north of Durban, to address the worrying increase in HFMD cases among schoolchildren.
The school is the most affected school in the province, with atleast 89 cases reported.
The disease, which primarily affects young children, causes blisters in the mouth, as well as on the hands and feet.
On Monday night, the department confirmed recording 168 cases: 120 in eThekwini, 25 in King Cetshwayo, 20 in uGu, and three in uMkhanyakude.
As of Tuesday morning, the cases rose to 195, with 147 cases now reported in eThekwini.
Simelane has urged parents, teachers, and communities to take the outbreak seriously and implement strict hygiene measures.
“Our vigilance both as parents and educators is critical. But we need to do more. Every school, every home, and every community must take this outbreak seriously,” she said.
She emphasised the importance of keeping sick children at home to prevent further transmission.
“To parents: Please, if your child shows symptoms, do not send them to school. We want to emphasise this: if your child shows symptoms, do not send them to school,” Simelane stressed.
She also called on teachers to remain proactive in educating children about hygiene and enforcing precautionary measures in classrooms.
Meanwhile, the National Department of Health said it is working with the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), which closely monitors the situation.
“There is no need for the public to panic because the outbreak remains under control, and at the current moment, there is no serious public health threat detected,” department spokesperson Foster Mohale said.
The national department said the disease is caused by a group of viruses known as enteroviruses, and it mainly occurs in small outbreaks at schools, crèches and day-care centres during the summer and autumn months.