At least 83 cases of hand, foot and mouth diseases (HFMD) have been recorded in Tagum City since January this year, public health officials reported Friday.
The City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (CESU) emphasized there is no outbreak of such disease yet as the local government managed to control the spread of HFMD.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HFMD is caused by several enteroviruses and spreads easily from person to person. This is different from the one that infects animals.
Enteroviruses are a group of viruses that include over 300 serotypes and are known to cause various infections in people of all ages.
The Tagum City Health Office led by division head Dr. Hisham Muhammad Mackno and officer Dr. Arnel Florendo have been strictly monitoring the status of patients.
According to the CESU, most cases were detected among children, but they were addressed immediately. The affected patients were strictly quarantined and monitored at home.
“We have been closely monitoring these cases since January and it’s been controlled. People have just started talking about it now because they are already aware of this kind of disease, and the moment they suspected of having (been) infected with it, they immediately sought doctors’ advice on medications,” said a CESU staff member, who spoke anonymously.
The staff added that once a patient was diagnosed with HFMD, the person would be advised to stay home. Personnel from the Barangay Health Emergency Response Team (BHERT) were then tasked to closely monitor the case.
“With the help of BHERT, we also strengthen our active surveillance in the barangay level to monitor close contacts so we can control the possible spread of the disease. We don’t consider it an outbreak because the number (of cases) did not increase and it remains under control,” she said.
“If there are clustering of cases in one barangay, this is controlled immediately because they are being monitored for home isolation,” the staff noted. “This type of disease only needs home quarantine.”
The Davao City Health Office also confirmed 30 cases of HFMD and posted information about it on social media to increase public awareness.
Among the symptoms of HFMD are red spots in the mouth, hands and feet, fever, sore throat and lack of appetite.
This can be prevented by isolation, proper handwashing and disposal of tissues used in coughing or sneezing.
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