GEORGE TOWN, March 28 -- Penang saw over a four-fold increase in Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD) cases between January 1 and March 22 this year compared to the same period last year.

State committee chairman for youth, sports, and health Daniel Gooi Zi Sen said a total 3,446 cases were reported in that period this year, compared to only 677 cases for the same period last year - a rise of 409 per cent.

"This is an increase of 2,769 cases this year," he said in a press conference at his office in Komtar here.

He said a total of 112 clusters were detected in the same period where 81 clusters (72.3 per cent) involved pre-schools, nurseries and kindergartens while 30 (26.8 per cent) involved schools and one cluster was reported at day ...