South Africa: HFMD outbreak in Durban on the rise

The hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) outbreak in the Durban area continues to expand. The number of cases has jumped from 36 to 117 and the Kwa-Zulu Natal (KZN) Department of Health expressed concern about this growth, though constantly appealing for calm to the public. Confirmed cases have been reported among children between 3 and 13 in several schools and centres in Phoenix, Greenwood Park, and Umhlanga. The first cases were reported between February 6 and 10. Babongile Mhlongo, the provincial health department’s director of communicable disease control, urged teachers and parents to enhance the pupils’ hygiene and keep symptomatic children at home. He also invited them to clean surfaces regularly and keep children away from infected persons. Finally, he advised parents to take their children to a healthcare facility if they show flu-like symptoms.
eThekwini Municipality also appealed for calm and announced that its Area-Based Outbreak Response Team was closely monitoring the situation. The municipality held a virtual training session with circuit managers and school principals to strengthen the response effort. Another training session for healthcare workers is scheduled for next week.