Not just children at risk, health officials warn
Kindergarten students of Wat Chong Lom School on Rama III Road in Bangkok’s Yannawa district have learned how to check for signs of hand, foot and mouth disease. Now some adults are being told to do the same. PATIPAT JANTHONG
By Terry Fredrickson
Although there have been no reports of adults being infected with HFMD, it is a possibility, health officials warn, and precautions should be taken.
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Adults warned to take virus precautions
Parents, elderly can still catch HFMD
POST REPORTERS
The Public Health Ministry insists there is no report of hand, foot, mouth disease (HFMD) spreading among adults but is warning the public about the possibility of infection.
While the disease is most prevalent among young children, some adults can still be infected with the virus, especially those with immune deficiencies, Dr Wilawan Juengprasert, director-general of the Department of Medical Services, said.
Dr Wilawan said usually the HFMD virus was found mainly among children aged under five but in some cases adults with immune deficiencies such as ageing people on immune-suppressing drugs could contract the virus as well.
"We have received no reports of adults picking up an HFMD infection, as most adults were immunised against the virus when they were young," she said.
However, Dr Naris Waranawat, an infectious disease expert with the Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health, said she had learned of some parents who had contracted the virus from their sick children.
Adults who have close contact with infected children should wash their hands regularly to prevent themselves from acquiring the disease.
Permanent secretary for public health Dr Paijit Warachit said the current spread of the disease probably would fade around the end of next month, as it was a seasonal epidemic. He was speaking to a teleconference of provincial chief health officers yesterday.
Provincial health offices nationwide were instructed to take quick action to contain the spread of the HFMD virus by promptly shutting any establishments where the infection was reported.
In Thailand, six of about 18,000 HFMD-infected children died last year, he said.
Meanwhile, the Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec) said that, as of yesterday, 211 students at 35 schools under its jurisdiction had been confirmed as having been infected with the HFMD virus.
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Vocabulary
kindergarten – a school for children, usually between the ages of two and five โรงเรียนอนุบาล
adult – a fully grown person who is legally responsible for their actions ผู้ใหญ่
precaution – an action taken to protect people or things against possible harm or trouble การป้องกันไว้ก่อน
elderly – (of people) old สูงวัย, อาวุโส, อายุมาก
insist – to keep saying very firmly that something is true ยืนกราน ยืนยัน
spread – to (cause to) cover, reach or have an effect on a wider or increasing area or number of people แพร่กระจาย, แพร่กระจายไปทั่ว
the public – people in general ประชาชน, สาธารณชน, มหาชน
infection – a disease or medical condition that is caused by a bacteria or by a virus or a parasite การติดเชื้อ
prevalent – that exists or is very common at a particular time or in a particular place ที่พบได้บ่อยๆ, แพร่หลาย
immune (system) – the system in your body that produces substances to help it fight against infection and disease ระบบภูมิคุ้มกันโรค
deficiency – lacking the ability to do something, in this case, to produce infection-fighting substances การขาดภูมิคุ้มกัน
ageing – growing old สูงวัยขึ้น
suppress – to prevent something from growing, developing or continuing ยับยั้ง, ระงับ
contract – to become infected with a disease ติดเชื้อ
immunise – to protect a person or an animal from a disease, especially by giving them an injection of a vaccine or, by being exposed to a disease and recovering from it ทำให้มีภูมิต้านทาน
infectious – able to cause an infection ติดต่อกันได้
expert – someone who has a particular skill or who knows a lot about a particular subject ผู้เชี่ยวชาญ
contact – a situation in which people or things touch each other การสัมผัส
permanent secretary – a government official, not a political appointee, in charge of a ministry ปลัดกระทรวง
current – of the present time ปัจจุบัน
fade – to slowly disappear or become weaker อ่อนลง,หายไป
seasonal – typical of or suitable for the time of year ตามฤดูกาล
epidemic – a sudden rapid increase in how often something bad happens การลุกลามอย่างรวดเร็ว, การแพร่ระบาดอย่างรวดเร็ว
teleconference – a meeting involving people who are in different places, but who are connected by video and computers
nationwide – throughout a whole country ทั่วทั้งประเทศ
instruct – to tell somebody to do something, especially in a formal or official way สั่ง
contain – to prevent from spreading; to keep within limits จำกัด,ควบคุมไว้
promptly – in an immediate or quick way ทันที
establishment – an organisation, an institution or a hotel สถานประกอบการ
jurisdiction – the authority that an official organisation has to make legal decisions about somebody/something เขตอำนาจตามกฎหมาย
