BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – Negros Occidental provincial administrator Rayfrando Diaz was dismayed by the Provincial Health Office’s (PHO) reporting of cases of hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD).
The PHO earlier reported a 6,300 percent increase in HFMD cases in the province.
However, Diaz said those were not confirmed HFMD cases but merely suspected cases.
PHO should be more circumspect when releasing data, especially if there is no confirmatory results yet from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), stressed Diaz.
HFMD is characterized by painful sores in the mouth and a rash on the hands and feet. It spreads through direct contact with droplets from coughing or sneezing, touching an infected person or through kissing, hugging, or sharing utensils, contact with an infected person’s feces, and touching infected objects and surfaces.
The provincial administrator also found out there is no concrete program yet as to how PHO intends to combat the spread of HFMD.
HFMD may cause all of the following signs and symptoms or just some of them:
* fever
* sore throat
* feeling unwell
* painful, red, blister-like lesions on the tongue, gums, and inside of the cheeks
* a red rash, without itching but sometimes with blistering, on the palms, soles, and sometimes the buttocks
* irritability in infants and toddler
* loss of appetite
Diaz reminded PHO of other concerns to address such as proper nutrition and sanitation.
Previously, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said he had not received a recommendation from the PHO to declare an HFMD outbreak. The PHO had said the number of cases has not yet hit the required threshold to warrant an outbreak declaration.
In the meantime, Lacson advised the Department of Education (DepEd) in Negros Occidental to continue observing their students; if they are unwell and experiencing symptoms of HFMD, they must immediately be sent home and undergo quarantine.
From Jan. 1 to Feb. 4, the PHO recorded 320 HFMD cases – a very sharp rise from five cases recorded in the same period last year.
Among the cities, Kabankalan recorded the highest number of cases at 73, from zero cases last year, while Cauayan had the most cases among the municipalities with 41.
Most of the cases were children below 10 years old./PN
