GEORGE TOWN: The state government today confirmed that its Health Department has issued notices to supermarkets and shopping complexes here to carry out sanitisation exercises at their premises.
State Health Committee chairman Dr Afif Bahardin said that the order was issued on July 20 following the spread of the hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in the state.
The order was issued after the checks by the department found that trolleys, toys and benches were contaminated and could be a cause for the spread of the disease.
“Such premises may be exposed to the viruses, hence we advise the operators and owners to clean-up their business premises.
“So far, we have no policy for the department to close down playgrounds in the supermarket and shopping complexes or even public parks which have playgrounds,” he told a press conference here today.
Dr Afif, however, said the operators have been told to do periodic cleaning to ensure that the toys are always clean to prevent any type of diseases from spreading at public area.
To-date, there are 128 new cases reported on Sunday and Monday, bringing the cumulative total of HFMD cases since the beginning of the year to 2,546 cases compared to 1,102 in the same period last year.
A total of 13 patients are still being treated at hospitals and are reportedly stable, while 23 premises remained closed due to the HFMD outbreak.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), HFMD is most commonly caused by coxsackievirus A16 and enteroviruses including enterovirus 71 (EV71), which is contagious and spread through direct contact with nose and throat discharges such as saliva, fluid from blisters and the stool of those infected.
Early symptoms include fever, rashes or blisters on the palms and feet, and ulcers in the mouth and tongue and sore throat.