Story by Vivian Bangamu
Two primary schools in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) have reported cases of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD).
Grandmore Primary and Lenham Primary issued statements urging parents to be wary of related symptoms of HFMD
The two schools in Phoenix, north of Durban, confirmed cases of the disease over the past few days.
HFMD disease, commonly known as a children’s virus, causes sores in the mouth and a rash on the hands and feet, include fever, irritability and loss of appetite.
The disease is a contagious viral infection which is spread by direct contact with saliva or mucus.
Meanwhile, in international news, around 260 foreign nationals, believed to have been trafficked and forced into working in online scams, have been rescued in Myanmar and handed over to authorities in Thailand.
Reports say in a fresh crackdown on online scammer operating from Southeast Asia, the Thai army cut off power and fuel supplies to five border towns in Myanmar linked to illegal online scamming activities.
Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, share borders with Thailand and are known as havens for criminal syndicates who are estimated to have forced thousands of people in Southeast Asia into working on the platforms.
According to United Nations, victims from around the world have lost billions of dollars to such scams, while most of the people recruited to carry them out have often been tricked into taking the jobs under false pretences and then trapped into modern day slavery.
