HAND, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) may have peaked here, with a 15 per cent fall in cases last week - from 1,465 to 1,246 cases.
While that might appear to be good news, it is offset by the higher number of infections caused by the virulent EV71 virus.
The Ministry of Health said in a statement on Tuesday that its surveillance 'show a high circulation of EV71 virus'.
Some 12,000 children have caught HFMD so far this year, with 29 per cent of infections caused by the EV71. The ministry does not check infections by this virus on a weekly basis.
HFMD is generally a mild childhood illness which causes red spots on hands, feet and buttocks, and ulcers in the mouth and throat.
It is passed from child to child through bodily fluids such as saliva.
Practicing good hygiene such as not sharing utensils can help to curb the spread.
The EV71 is particularly feared as it is the virus that caused most, if not all, of the seven deaths during the 2000 to 2001 outbreak here.
It has also been identified as the killer in the outbreak in China, claiming more than 30 lives so far.
