HFMD cases nearly double in Ho Chi Minh City as seasonal peak begins

The Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control (HCDC) said on Friday that the city recorded 837 HFMD cases in the latest week, up 97.1 percent from that average.

The cumulative number of cases in the city since the start of this year has reached 7,294.

Long Huong, Long Dien, and Thuong Tan were among the wards and communes with the highest case rates, at more than 100 cases per 100,000 people.

Pediatric hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City have also reported an increase in children coming in for HFMD treatment.

Speaking to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on the same day, Dr. Du Tuan Quy, head of the infectious diseases and neurology department at Children’s Hospital 1, said the department was treating 36 children with HFMD, with severe cases making up 46 percent of the total.

Although the number of patients currently under treatment has increased slightly compared to previous weeks, it remains lower than in the same period last year, Dr. Quy said.

He warned that the disease spreads quickly and can easily trigger outbreaks, especially in nurseries and schools, and urged the public to exercise greater caution.

Nationwide surveillance data show that HFMD remains in circulation in most localities.

The country recorded more than 107,000 cases in 2025, up nearly 29 percent from 2024.

HCDC said HFMD is an acute infectious disease caused by enteroviruses and is most common in children under five.

The disease is mainly transmitted via the digestive tract or through contact with bodily fluids from infected patients or with contaminated surfaces or objects.

Without timely detection and treatment, it can lead to serious complications, including encephalitis, meningitis, and myocarditis.

HFMD can occur year-round, but cases typically rise sharply during two periods each year, from March to May and from September to November.

These seasonal peaks often coincide with children returning to school after the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday and summer vacation, increasing the risk of transmission.

To help prevent the disease, health authorities have urged schools and parents to follow the ‘three clean’ principle of clean eating, clean living, and clean hands.

Early detection remains critical, HCDC said.

Parents should take children to a medical facility as soon as they show symptoms such as fever, mouth ulcers, or blisters on the palms or soles.

They should also avoid bursting skin blisters, as doing so may increase the risk of infection.

Children with HFMD should stay home from school and avoid playgrounds, swimming pools, and other public places to prevent spreading the disease to other children.