EV71 case 'no cause for panic'
Department of Disease Control chief Dr Pornthep Siriwanarangsan yesterday advised the public not to panic over the discovery that a toddler had died at a Bangkok hospital from an Enterovirus 71 (EV71) infection.
Pornthep said the Nopparat Hospital had sent the virus found in the 2-year-old for analysis at the Department of Medical Sciences.
Pornthep advised parents to take early hospital treatment if they suspected their child was infected, otherwise it could be too late to fight it.
Department spokesman, Dr Wattana Uwanit, said officials are testing if the virus found in the body of the toddler had undergone a significant mutation that might cause it to become more viral.
He said EV 71 had first been detected long ago. Some people, particularly adults, might be immune to it.
Tak provincial governor Suriya Prasartbanthit said the province has ordered every school to take extra precautions and be vigilant after two students in the province were found to have contracted hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD).
The toddler who died at Nopparat had no symptoms of HFMD.
Supanant Kongchanhiran, a first grader and her brother Jirapat Kongchanhiran are being treated in hospital for the disease. Sunet Rakkaew, director of Ban Pakamai has advised parents not to bring their children to school if they have high fever and take them to hospital immediately.
