Health Department Calls for Calm amid HFMD Outbreak
Loading player...
The Department of Health calls for calm following an outbreak of Hand, Foot, and
Mouth Disease in KwaZulu-Natal province, mostly around Durban. The Department,
working with the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) is closely
monitoring the situation while providing necessary support to the province to contain
the spread of this fairly common viral infection, which mainly affects infants and
children. 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. However, parents and caregivers are urged to be vigilant in case their
children display common symptoms such as fever, sore throat, tiredness, loss of
appetite and small blisters on the inside of the mouth, sides of the tongue, palms of
the hands and soles of the feet. Phemelo speaks Paediatric intensivist at KZN’S
Grey’s Hospital, Dr Sbekezelo Hlophe.
Mouth Disease in KwaZulu-Natal province, mostly around Durban. The Department,
working with the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) is closely
monitoring the situation while providing necessary support to the province to contain
the spread of this fairly common viral infection, which mainly affects infants and
children. 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. However, parents and caregivers are urged to be vigilant in case their
children display common symptoms such as fever, sore throat, tiredness, loss of
appetite and small blisters on the inside of the mouth, sides of the tongue, palms of
the hands and soles of the feet. Phemelo speaks Paediatric intensivist at KZN’S
Grey’s Hospital, Dr Sbekezelo Hlophe.
