The Health ministry today ordered the closure of hundreds of kindergartens in Sarawak to curb the spread of hand, foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD).

Health minister Dr Chua Soi Lek said 488 kindergartens would be closed in the state for two weeks to prevent the spread of the disease and allow the premises to be cleaned.

"This action is taken to cut off the transmission of the infection of the disease which increased markedly in Sarawak," Chua was quoted as saying by the state Bernama news agency.

The minister said concerns were rising over the disease, which affects infants and young children and has been detected in the Sarawak towns of Sibu, Bintulu and Miri, as well as the capital Kuching.

Three suspected deaths

"There were 942 cases between January 1 2006 and February 18, compared to only 270 in the same period last year," he said.

Chua said there had been three suspected HFMD deaths in Sibu this year, most recently two days ago, one of which was from a virulent form of the virus.

"One of them was positive enterovirus 71, the virus which caused deaths during the HFMD outbreak in 1997," he said.

Sarawak has previously had outbreaks of the disease in 1997, 2000 and 2003.