The seasonal flu is losing momentum while cases of hand-foot-and-mouth disease(HFMD) are on the rise.

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency(KDCA), suspected influenza patients fell to 21-point-five for every one-thousand outpatients last week, down by four-point-two from the previous week.

However, patients with suspected hand-foot-and-mouth disease have risen by three-point-eight percent, to reach 19-point-five per one-thousand outpatients.

The KDCA believes the flu is still persistent among teens and children aged seven and older while HFMD is spreading among children aged six and below.

The agency said HFMD can cause rare complications such as encephalitis and advised parents to visit a hospital if their child is younger than six months old, has difficulty consuming water or shows signs of a fever for more than two days.