Application of Geographical information System (GIS) in Outbreak of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) in Sarawak

摘要

Background: HFMD surveillance data subsequent to a cluster of death involving 29 children in Sarawak state during a HFMD outbreak in 1997 indicated that HFMD is endemic in Sarawak with further major outbreaks occurring every three years in 2000, 2003 and 2006. Results of study on GIS application in HFMD surveillance done in a district in Sarawak in 2000 suggested that there could be spatial clustering of HFMD cases with some small areas with high incidence of HFMD cases in an outbreak which have low incidence in subsequent outbreak.