hand, foot and mouth Virus Sickens Nearly 100,000, Claims Dozens Of Lives In Vietnam

Virus Sickens Nearly 100,000, Claims Dozens Of Lives In Vietnam

An outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease has killed dozens in Vietnam, most of them children

HANOI, Vietnam (December 16, 2011)--An outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease in Vietnam has killed 156 people, most of them children, and sickened more than 96,000 through late November.
An official at the Ministry of Health says the average number of weekly cases dropped from about 3,000 in September to 2,460 in November.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a travel alert Monday that urged people who are visiting Vietnam to protect themselves from the disease by practicing "healthy personal hygiene."
This year's outbreak is a sharp uptick from recent years.
Since 2008, about 10,000 to 15,000 cases were reported per year, claiming the lives of 20 to 30 children annually.
The common childhood illness typically causes little more than a fever and rash, and most recover quickly.
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