1. Overview of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease
Hand, foot, and mouth disease is an infectious disease caused by intestinal viruses, transmitted from person to person mainly through the digestive tract, which can easily cause epidemics. The disease occurs year-round and affects all ages, but is more common in children under 5 years old. Common pathogens are Coxsackie virus A6, A10, A16 and Enterovirus 71 (EV71). 1
The primary manifestation is skin and mucosal lesions, typically in the form of blisters, in specific locations such as the oral mucosa, palms, soles, buttocks, and knees.
2. History of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease
- First discovered: Hand, foot, and mouth disease was first described in Toronto, Canada, and New Zealand in 1957. The disease was named hand, foot, and mouth disease after a similar outbreak occurred in the United States in 1959.2
- Isolation of Enterovirus 71: In 1990, in California, EV71 was first isolated in a child who died of encephalitis.3
Figure 1. Worldwide epidemics of HFMD (country and year). Red indicates outbreaks of HFMD involved more than 10 000 cases and blue indicates coxsackie virus A6 (CV-A6) infection, which is one of the most common pathogens of HFMD in recent years.
3. Hand, foot and mouth disease situation in Vietnam:
In Vietnam, Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease occurs sporadically throughout the year in most localities across the country. The number of cases recorded in the southern provinces is often higher, concentrated from March to May and from September to December.3
According to the Hanoi Center for Disease Control (CDC), during the week from May 9 to 16, the city recorded 254 cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease in 28 districts, towns, and cities - a decrease of 59 cases compared to the previous week. Localities with many cases include: Nam Tu Liem (27), Me Linh (20), Hoang Mai (18), Soc Son (17), Chuong My and Ha Dong (both 16 cases), Hai Ba Trung and Thanh Tri (both 14 cases). Accumulated since the beginning of the year, the city has recorded 2,277 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease, nearly double the same period in 2024 (1,247 cases). 4
Compiled by: Le Minh Dat (email: lmd@vpha.org.vn)
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References:
1. Quyết định số 292/QĐ-BYT ban hành ngày 06 tháng 02 năm 2024 về việc ban hành hướng dẫn chẩn đoán, điều trị bệnh Tay chân miệng (2024).
2. Xiaobo Lei, Sheng Cui, Zhendong Zhao, Jianwei Wang. Etiology, pathogenesis, antivirals and vaccines of hand, foot, and mouth disease. National Science Review. 2015;2(3):268-284. doi:10.1093/nsr/nwv038
3. Bộ môn Dịch tễ học. Dịch tễ học bệnh Tay chân miệng. Giáo trình Dịch tễ học một số bệnh phổ biến. Nhà xuất bản Y học; 2019:130-139.
4. Đài truyền hình Việt Nam (VTV). Hà Nội: Gần 2.300 ca tay chân miệng, hơn 2.600 ca sởi từ đầu năm 2025. Accessed June06, 2025. https://vtv.vn/suc-khoe/ha-noi-gan-2300-ca-tay-chan-mieng-hon-2600-ca-soi-tu-dau-nam-2025-20250519102054195.htm