According to a report by the Can Tho Department of Health, in the first 6 months of 2026, the city (TP) recorded more than 2,400 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease, 2.2 times higher than the same period in 2025.
Information from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) of Can Tho City, the results collected from the System for managing and monitoring infectious diseases, community and other data sources show that the number of hand, foot and mouth disease cases was recorded in all 103/103 wards and communes in the city.
The highest age group with the disease is the group under 3 years old (accounting for 55.7%), the group from 3 to 5 years old (accounting for 35.3%) and the group over 5 years old (accounting for 9%).
At Can Tho City Children's Hospital, a final-line pediatric hospital in the Mekong Delta region, the disease situation is recorded to be spread across many levels, including severe cases requiring intensive resuscitation.
Talking to Lao Dong Newspaper, BS.CKII Huynh Hung Dung, Head of the Department of Infectious Diseases, Can Tho City Children's Hospital, said that unlike every year when the epidemic usually only focuses on two peaks (April - May and September - November), this year, severe cases have appeared sporadically from the first months of the year.
Through reception and treatment, it is recorded that the strain of Enterovirus A71 (EV71) is prone to dangerous complications, appearing with a rate of about 50%. Moreover, in recent years, hand, foot and mouth disease has been circulating year-round, no longer following clear seasonal rules. Especially, because the disease is caused by many different strains of viruses, a child can get sick 2-3 times, even many times in a year.
The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the hospital always arranges treatment space for pediatric patients with infectious diseases, and at this time, hand, foot and mouth disease cases account for the majority.
Doctor Phan Nhat Khuong, Deputy Head of the ICU Department, Children's Hospital of Can Tho City - informed that in recent weeks, the department has continuously received and treated about 10 severe cases each day. Some babies are only 3-4 months old but record rapid progress.
Typically, the case of Ms. Le Thi Cam Nhung's grandson (Can Tho City). Ms. Nhung said that because her grandson's parents are both workers, she stays at home to take care of her grandson very carefully. Although she regularly monitors epidemic news and proactively prevents, she did not expect the disease to progress so quickly.
In just one afternoon, blisters on my child's body suddenly appeared densely. When taken to the hospital for emergency treatment, the disease had severe complications to the lungs, forcing her to be transferred directly to intensive care" - Ms. Nhung shared.
Similarly, when his child passed the critical condition, Mr. Nguyen Minh Trieu (from Vinh Long province) still choked up: "Looking at my child lying in the resuscitation room with wires and machines around, my husband and I felt like our hearts were broken in pieces.
Doctors recommend that currently there is no vaccine against hand, foot and mouth disease, parents need to proactively prevent children with many measures.
Accordingly, it is necessary to strictly wash hands regularly with soap under running water for both children and caregivers; do not allow children to come into contact with sick or suspected patients; identify early signs of danger for immediate hospitalization;...
When children get sick, in addition to blisters on their hands, feet, and mouth, parents need to monitor closely. Take your child to the hospital immediately if one of the dangerous complication warning signs appears such as continuous high fever, startling, crying for no reason, lethargy, limb weakness or frequent vomiting occurs.
