There’s been an alarming number of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease cases in Malaysia.
More than 35,000 cases have been reported around the country since the start of 2018, with a rise in cases in all states except Sarawak.
To combat the problem, several hundred premises nationwide have been closed, including nurseries and kindergartens.
Other measures include awareness campaigns and disinfecting the environment after school or daycare sessions.
Shared children’s toys have been identified as one of the main causes of the spread.
In Penang, some of the causes have been identified as the toys and chairs in shopping malls, as well as supermarket trolley handles.
Singapore’s Ministry of Health posts regular updates on the local situation on its website.
It includes a list of the names of childcare centres and kindergartens that have more than 10 HFMD cases.
Centres that have had an outbreak are required to close for 10 days to break the chain of HFMD transmission.
Read on to find out more about HFMD so you can help prevent the spread of the disease.