Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease Cases More Than Double Over Past Month; Sharp Rise Among Infants and Toddlers

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported a sharp increase in patients showing symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease over the past four weeks, based on sentinel surveillance conducted at 93 clinics nationwide.
In the 27th week of this year, the rate of suspected hand, foot, and mouth disease cases reached 19.4 per 1,000 outpatients, which is approximately 2.2 times higher than the 8.9 per 1,000 recorded in the 24th week.
The rate was particularly high among children aged 0 to 6, at 27.2 per 1,000 outpatients.
Hand, foot, and mouth disease is an acute viral illness that primarily affects infants and toddlers aged 5 and under. It can be transmitted through direct contact with a patient's secretions, such as saliva or phlegm, or by touching contaminated objects.
Key symptoms include fever, sore throat, and loss of appetite. One to two days after the onset of fever, small red spots may appear on the inner cheeks, gums, and tongue.
While most patients recover within 7 to 10 days, complications such as meningitis or encephalitis can occur in rare cases.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.