Singapore's childcare center had a total of 570 active cases of children infected with hand-foot- mouth disease as of last Friday, an slight increase compared to some 460 cases a month ago.

Singapore's Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) said on Monday that the disease was still under control as most of the cases were of the less dangerous CA16 strain, according to local television Channel NewsAsia reports.

MCYS said one childcare center which reported cases of food-and- mouth disease voluntarily closed for six days early last month.

MCYS added that it was overseeing all 732 registered childcare centers in Singapore and had increased the number of spot checks at childcare centers.

Parents are called by MCYS to join in the fight.

"We tell the parents to help us to check the children, that means to check the mouth whether there is any growth, check the hands for any rashes, and to check the soles. Also to check the temperature for any fever," Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, Minister of State of MCYS was quoted as saying.

Operators and supervisors from more than 700 childcare centers will participate an anti-hand-foot and mouth disease seminar at Singapore Polytechnic next month, which is organized by MCYS.

Source: Xinhua