It has come to the attention of the Ministry of Health and Wellness that a press release on the subject “Increase in Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease is currently circulating on social media.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness advises the public that this document is approximately three (3) years old. Whilst the document gives accurate information about how Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease is transmitted, the first paragraph shows it is outdated.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness assures the public that there is currently no known or documented outbreak of Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease in New Providence or the Family Islands. As of today, 22nd October, 2021, there is only one (1) documented case reported to the Surveillance Unit at this time.

As this is the time of year when Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease cases tend to occur, the Ministry of Health and Wellness encourages the public, especially those that work in schools or daycares, to be vigilant and report any suspected cases of the disease to the Surveillance Unit, Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., at telephone numbers 604-9094, 604-9095 and 376-4705.