Twenty students at Queen’s College have contracted the hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), the government has announced.
The outbreak at the secondary school in Causeway Bay saw 20 boys developing fever, oral ulcers, and rashes and vesicles on their hands or feet since November 6. All are in stable condition and none have required hospitalisation.
The Centre for Health Protection said it has sent health officials to inspect the school. Although HFMD is common among children, this year the city has seen an unusual number of outbreaks of the disease.
Earlier this month, another HFMD outbreak struck a secondary school in Ap Lei Chau.
A spokesman for the Centre for Health Protection said at the time: “HFMD occurs throughout the year and the peak season is usually from May to July in Hong Kong. There were also smaller winter peaks in the past few years but the persistently high HFMD activity reported this year is unusual.”
The government urged members of the public to wash their hands frequently and maintain good indoor air circulation to prevent the disease from spreading further.
