BANGKOK, 15 July 2013 (NNT) – The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is warning its residents against the spread of hand,foot and mouth disease during the rainy season, which has infected over 11,000 people across the country.

BMA’s Health Department has reported that a total of 11,678 people have been infected by the disease from January to June this year. In Bangkok, 1,676 cases have been reported.

HFMD spreads through direct contact and usually affects infants and children. The department has warned that young students can easily catch the disease from their peers during the monsoon season. As there is no vaccine to protect against the HFMD viruses, parents have been urged to disinfect dirty surfaces and to often wash their children’s hands with soap and water.

Read more: NNT