Health Department tackling hand, foot, mouth disease in St Catherine

The St Catherine Health Department has embarked on targeted interventions in the old capital of Spanish Town and the busy commercial town of Linstead to curtail the spread of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) in those areas.

HFMD is a contagious illness that is caused by several viruses that primarily affect infants and children under age five years, although adults are also susceptible.

The symptoms include fever, mouth sores and rashes on the hands and feet. The disease spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids, respiratory droplets, contaminated surfaces, and the faecal-oral route.

According to Deputy Chief Public Health Inspector for St Catherine, Denece Douglas, the two towns that are being targeted have the most reported cases.

She told Thursday's meeting of the St Catherine Municipal Corporation (SCMC) that several schools in the parish have also reported cases of the disease in children.

"We have targeted interventions taking place, particularly in those areas where we are noting the most reports of cases, that would be Linstead and Spanish Town," said Douglas.

The developments in St Catherine come after the Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA) urged parents and guardians earlier this month to exercise increased vigilance following a surge in HFMD cases across the region.

Medical Epidemiologist for the WRHA, Dr Maung Aung, said 318 HFMD cases were reported from January to late October 2024, representing a 106.5 per cent jump from the 154 cases that were reported during the same period in 2023.

"Trends from 2021 to 2023 indicate that the number of HFMD cases generally increases between September and November of each year, which is what has been observed this year as well,” he told the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) then.

Aung said the numbers reported this year are concerning, as they are higher in comparison to the last three years.