BHUBANESWAR: After several southern states have issued an alert over spread of hand foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in Kerala, where it was called the Tomato fever, Odisha too has begun to report an unusually high number of cases, with uncommon manifestations, this season.
Paediatricians said that HFMD is being reported in large numbers from Bhubaneswar and Cuttack and several other districts. But, what is of more concern is the disease typically seen among children under five years is now found affecting older ones too, and also with repeat infection that is highly unusual.
HFMD is caused by a virus called Coxsackievirus A16. The infection causes red rashes on the palm of the hands, around mouth, soles, knees, chest, back and buttocks, etc. It is sometimes accompanied by fever. The infected suffer from pain, body ache and loss of appetite along with instances of diarrhoea and vomiting.
It is contagious and spreads through touch, close contact and respiratory modes. The infected need to be isolated and practice proper hygiene.The virus is generally self-limiting and resolves within a week with symptomatic treatment, but in rare cases has been known to lead to more severe encephalitis of the brain.
Leading paediatrician and Dean of School of Allied Health Sciences, AIPH University, Dr Arijit Mohapatra said, there has been a sudden spurt in HFMD in Bhubaneswar with similar reports coming in from Cuttack and several other districts.
"We are seeing at least 10 per cent of paediatric OPD attendance with HFMD. Typically the virus affects children under five, but we are seeing cases in children as old as 12 and even a 14-year-old. Further, some of them are infected for the second time, which is highly unusual due to the long-lasting immunity of the virus. There have also been cases, where repeat infection is in the same season," Dr Mohapatra said.
He said that this questions the conventional wisdom of immunity after natural infection and points towards a different strain of different virus altogether with similar sign-symptoms.
"The changes may be caused by a mutated strain of the Coxsackievirus, or a totally different virus. Enterovirus 71 (EV-A71) has been demonstrated in cases of HFMD outbreaks in East and Southeast Asia. We currently do not know our outbreak is due to which strain. In this context, surveillance and sampling of any infectious disease on a regular basis is important," he emphasised.