ZAMBOANGA CITY — The City Health Office (CHO) has urged health facilities here to report cases of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) to prevent the spread of the disease in the locality.
“We are continuously monitoring the disease and we are asking hospitals and health centers to report such cases to us,” Dr. Dulce Miravite, CHO officer-in-charge, said Friday.
Miravite said their office has recorded 12 HFMD cases, composed of six males and six females, from January to August this year, all children aged one to eight years old.
In 2017, the city registered a total of 11 HFMD cases.
HFMD is a viral disease that is common among children. Its symptoms include fever, sore mouth or throat, malaise, vomiting, and lesions found in the hands, feet, and genitalia.
Miravite said most of the HFMD patients admitted in hospitals here are children with sores inside or around the mouth and have difficulty eating. Miravite noted that there is no specific treatment for HFMD as it is being managed symptomatically.
“The virus will go away on its own after seven to 10 days,” she said.
To avoid contracting the disease, she said frequent hand washing is necessary, as well as proper hygiene and sanitation. (R. G. Antonet Go/PNA)
