The Department of Health calls for calm following an outbreak of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease in KwaZulu-Natal province, mostly around Durban. The Department, working with the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) is closely monitoring the situation while providing necessary support to the province to contain the spread of this fairly common viral infection, which mainly affects infants and children. There is no need for the public to panic because the outbreak remains under control and at the current moment there is no serious public health threat detected. However, parents and caregivers are urged to be vigilant in case their children display common symptoms such as fever, sore throat, tiredness, loss of appetite and small blisters on the inside of the mouth, sides of the tongue, palms of the hands and soles of the feet. Phemelo speaks Paediatric intensivist at KZN’S Grey’s Hospital, Dr Sbekezelo Hlophe.