Reported cases of Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease (HFMD) and Chickenpox has escalated in the first week of July compared to the last week of June, said HPA whil cases of pink eye had comparatively decreased.
Reported cases of Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease (HFMD) and Chickenpox has begun escalating in Maldives.
Health Protection Agency (HPA) said that cases of Chickenpox reported this week has relatively increased from the previous week. Most number of contracted cases has been emerging from the Male' region, located in the Maldivian Capital, Addu City located at the southernmost point of Maldives and Lhaviyani atoll, situated in the north province.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Chickenpox or Varicella is caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV) and is mainly transferred through contact. This highly contagious illness lasts about 4-7 days, says CDC and although vaccination prevents the disease, some still contract the disease with minor symptoms.
Classic symptoms of the disease include a rash which develops on the chest, back and face before spreading across the body. The rashes then gradually develop into itchy, fluid-filled blisters before morphing into scabs.
HPA had received reports that 94 people had developed Chickenpox between June 23 and June 29, with this number observing a rise to 107 by Saturday last week.
Reported cases of HFMD had also increased from 11 cases during the last week of June to 35 cases confirmed by Saturday last week. Majority of the reported cases had appeared from Male' region as well as Alif Dhaalu atoll, located at the north central province.
This disease is common amongst children aged below five although it is not confined to this age group. According to CDC, although HFMD is not serious and alleviates within 7-10 days with minimal or no medical treatment, it remains highly contagious. Symptoms of HFMD include fever, sore throat, loss of appetite, painful blistering, mouth sores and rashes on hands and feet, says CMC, with some children observing mild symptoms during the first 7-10 days.
Meanwhile, HPA reports that cases of Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye) had decreased from the preceding week with most number of cases emerging from the Male' region and the second southernmost atoll in Maldives, Fuvahmulah City.
The number of people who had contracted the disease stood at 407 during the last week of June while the following week saw 337 cases.
Similar to its name, Pink Eye can cause the eye to turn red or pink and although symptoms vary, CDC reports that redness or swelling of the inner eyelids or the white of eye is commonly observed in patients of the disease. Additional symptoms include watery eyes, discharge in one or both eyes and itchiness, irritation and burning of the eye, says CDC.
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