The of Health Ministry has confirmed that there has been no closure of schools or classes in Selangor due to the outbreak of the hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD).

Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the ministry viewed the claims that 51 schools in a Selangor district had been closed, as serious.

"There were only two HFMD clusters reported in two schools but both the schools were not closed.

“The schools or classes involved were not closed because checks by a health department team found no risk of HFMD infection to other students," he said in a statement, here today.

He urged the public to check HFMD news with the ministry instead of relying on information spread on the social media platforms.

He was  responding to claims on the social media that HFMD in Selangor was at danger level and 51 schools in the state had been closed due to the disease.

HFMD is a viral disease caused by the Coxsackievirus A16 and Enterovirus 71 virus which spread through saliva, blisters and faeces.

Meanwhile, Noor Hisham advised the public especially parents, nursery and kindergarten operators as well as teachers to teach children the importance of good personal hygiene including proper handwashing techniques.

Apart from screening children at the entrance of nurseries, kindergartens, preschools and schools, he said parents should also examine their child every morning before sending them off to the centres.

- Bernama