By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga
There is no recommendation yet for an outbreak to be declared in Negros Occidental after the Provincial Health Office (PHO) recorded a 6,300 percent increase in the cases of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD).
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said yesterday he received a message from PHO that the number of cases in the province has not yet hit the criteria for the declaration of an outbreak.
“They are still monitoring the situation, pero as of today, they are not ready to declare an outbreak,” Lacson said.
The PHO did not notice any clustering of HFMD cases, compared to the neighboring Iloilo province wherein they recorded a 2,000 percent increase.
From January 1 to 31, the PHO recorded 320 cases — a very sharp rise from five cases recorded in the same period last year.
Kabankalan City has the highest number of HFMD cases at 73, from zero cases last year.
Among the municipalities in the province, Cauayan has the most cases with 41.
Lacson reiterated that he trusts PHO’s expert advice and he will follow their recommendations.
The PHO has already sounded the alarm bells in some local government units, and told their respective municipal and city health officers to intensify their information drives on how to avoid HFMD, such as observing minimum public health standards.
Lacson said local health units in the province should exert effort for information dissemination about the illness.
Meanwhile, provincial health officer Dr. Ernell Tumimbang said HFMD could be easily transmitted, especially among schoolchildren.
Most of the cases are children below 10 years old, the report showed.
Earlier, Lacson also advised the Department of Education in Negros Occidental to continue monitoring their students for possible symptoms of HFMD.
If the student is unwell and has symptoms of HFMD, he or she must immediately be sent home and undergo quarantine.
HFMD is characterized by painful sores in the mouth and a rash on the hands and feet.
The illness also includes the following symptoms:
- 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
- loss of appetite
HFMD 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./With a report from PNA / DGB, WDJ