The possibility of the death of a Johor Baru boy this week being linked to the suspected Hand, Foot and Mouth disease (HFMD) outbreak in Singapore, which has so far claimed four deaths, has not been ruled out by health authorities.

Johor's senior assistant health director (epidemiology) Dr Nooraini Baba told malaysiakini that preliminary investigations showed that the three-year-old boy, Teo Ching Kai, have relatives working across the causeway.

"The boy did not go to Singapore, but we do not rule out the possibility that it could be related to the outbreak in Singapore as he has relatives working there," she said.

Since the suspected HFMD was made legally notifiable in Singapore on Monday, 229 cases have been reported in the island state.

Nooraini said that Teo had contact with two cousins who had HFMD, but they were given proper treatment and have since fully recovered.

She said that HFMD is clinically suspected to have caused the boy's death because he exhibited symptoms of the disease in the initial stages.

However, she stressed that the health authorities have to wait for the viral study to be completed before this can be confirmed.

Teo succumbed to suspected HFMD on Tuesday after having suffered from high fever for a week.

Keep children at home

Nooraini stressed that HFMD is mild and endemic.

However, she advised all parents not to bring their children to crowded areas such as shopping complexes, swimming pools and recreational areas.

"Every parent, upon returning from work, should take a bath before (coming into physical contact with) their children," she said, adding that parents should not let others kiss their children as the disease could be transmitted by adults.

She also warned parents not to let their children who are suffering from fever to go to kindergartens and schools.

HFMD was blamed for the deaths of 31 children in Sarawak three years ago, all of whom were under six, while 24 of them were below two years old.

According to deputy director general of health Dr Mohamad Taha Arif, there were two deaths in Miri in March, but the authorities cannot conclusively prove that they are related to HFMD