ILOILO – Cases of hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) in this province decreased.
From January 1 to February 24, the Iloilo Provincial Health Office (IPHO) recorded 112 cases – a 96 percent dropped from the 2,782 cases recorded during the same period in 2023.
HFMD is a contagious viral infection most commonly found in young children. It is characterized by mouth sores and rashes on the hands and feet.
The municipalities reporting the highest number of cases so far this year were Lambunao with 24 cases, followed by Banate and Barotac Viejo with 11 cases each, Igbaras with 10 cases, Oton with eight, San Dionisio with seven, Lemery with six, Badiangan with five, Zarraga with four, and Leon with three.
Other towns reporting cases were San Joaquin, Mina, Passi City, and Calinog, each with two cases; Bingawan, Sara, Tubungan, Leganes, Santa Barbara, and Cabatuan, also with two cases each; and Ajuy, Janiuay, Miag-ao, Tigbauan, Guimbal, San Rafael, and Maasin, each with one case.
Fifteen towns have reported no cases: Alimodian, Anilao, Barotac Nuevo, Batad, Carles, Concepcion, Dingle, Dueñas, Dumangas, Estancia, New Lucena, Pavia, Pototan, San Enrique, and San Miguel.
The province of Iloilo is comprised of 42 towns and one component city, Passi.
The IPHO attributed the decrease in cases to heightened public awareness about HFMD, particularly regarding preventive measures such as maintaining cleanliness and hygiene, especially among children, and isolating children or keeping them home from school if they exhibit signs and symptoms of HFMD.
Other signs and symptoms of HFMD include 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 toddlers; and loss of appetite.
Dr. Maria Socorro Colmenares-Quiñon, the IPHO chief, noted that most HFMD cases occur in children, especially those at the Day Care and Grade School level. She explained that the virus spreads when children touch surfaces that have also been touched by an infected child.
Quiñon advised parents to seek permission from teachers to excuse their child from classes for seven to 10 days upon noticing early symptoms of HFMD to prevent spreading the infection.
Teachers in daycare centers are reminded to practice frequent sanitation and disinfect commonly touched surfaces, such as doorknobs, tables, and chairs, to help prevent the spread of the disease./PN
