IHCM RESEARCH PROJECTS
HAND, FOOT & MOUTH DISEASE
HFMD is a disease that primarily affects infants and young children. The disease is caused by many different types of viruses from the genus Enterovirus. Infection typically results in a mild, self-limiting febrile illness but can sometimes lead to more serious forms that include neurologic complications. The former more serious outcomes are often associated with Enterovirus 71 (EV-A71).
Here at IHCM, our research interest in HFMD includes molecular epidemiology of viruses causing HFMD with particular interest in EV-A71, viral-host interactions, molecular diagnostics and pathogenesis. Through a ten year surveillance program initiated in 1998, and involving several different hospitals and clinics throughout Sarawak, we have accumulated a collection of viruses from annual outbreaks of HFMD in Sarawak that serves as material for the various research programs undertaken at IHCM.
