Dr Wiwat Srisamanode, Phuket’s deputy director of Public Health, told The Phuket News that the two schools, which he declined to name, had been closed temporarily to control the spread of the illness, and for the schools to be disinfected and cleaned.
The disease is most prevalent among children under the age of five. Dr Wiwat stressed that there were typically about 100 cases a year in Phuket, and the strain of the disease detected in Phuket is not dangerous.
Symptoms usually include red spots or a rash similar to chicken pox, which breaks out in at least two areas on the body (on the hands, the feet or around the mouth) and can be painful or itchy. The victim may also have a fever, vomiting, and general lassitude.
HFMD is contagious, spreading through direct contact with the bodily fluids or faeces of an infected person. Experts stress that good hygiene is the best form of prevention.
Dr Wiwat said that anyone who thinks their child is infected should visit a doctor or go to hospital to get treatment.
To prevent getting the disease, he advised people to be careful with hygiene, adding that they should keep food areas clean, not share eating utensils with others, and wash their hands regularly.
Around 22 schools in Bangkok were closed on Tuesday on fears of an outbreak, but by Wednesday all but three of those had re-opened, according to Bangkok authorities.
Although the Phuket strain of the disease is not considered to be dangerous, in neighbouring Cambodia a much more deadly strain has killed at least 54 children out of 61 confirmed cases in the past three months, according to a recent update from the World Health Organization. Most of the victims were no more than three years old.
On Wednesday, all kindergartens and primary schools in Cambodia were closed in a bid to prevent the spread of a virus that causes a deadly form of HFMD, the Cambodian government said.