ZAMBOANGA CITY — The City Health Office (CHO) has declared that the city is no longer in immediate danger from hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), following a recent report of 210 recorded cases between Jan. 1 and April 5 this year.
CHO medical officer Dr. Anne Credo announced this positive development during the second-quarter meeting of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC).
She detailed that the 210 HFMD cases were spread across 15 barangays, with Putik registering the highest incidence at 41 cases, predominantly affecting schoolchildren aged 10 and under.
Baluno followed with 30 cases, Tetuan with 24, Mampang with 16, and Lamisahan and Guiwan with 14 cases each. Other affected barangays included Tugbungan (13), Pasonanca (7), and Canelar, Mercedes and Sinunuc (5 each), Campo Islam (3), Lumbangan (2), and Dulian and Sinubong (1 each).
The reported symptoms among those infected with HFMD included fever, rashes, loss of appetite, vomiting, malaise, sore throat and cough. Credo’s report indicated that the most likely source of exposure was schools, accounting for 90 cases (43%), followed by the community with 61 cases (29%), homes with 58 cases (28%), and a daycare center with one case (1%).
While the city has seen relief from a potential HFMD outbreak, Credo also presented data on dengue fever, which remains a significant health concern.
Zamboanga City recorded 580 dengue cases across nearly all of its 98 barangays during the same period. The top 10 barangays with the highest number of dengue cases were Tetuan (25), Kasanyangan (24), Talon-Talon and Mercedes (23 each), Putik (21), Baliwasan and San Roque (19 each), Ayala (18), and Mampang and Tumaga (17 each), followed by Sta. Barbara (16), and Labuan and Rio Hondo (15 each).
Tragically, the city also reported two dengue-related deaths: a 3-year-old boy from Tigtabon Island and a 40-year-old woman from La Paz.
In addition to HFMD and dengue, the prevalence of animal bites in the city was also emphasized, with 6,054 individuals receiving treatment for such incidents. Four individuals succumbed to rabies: a 2-year-old boy from Mercedes and three adult males from Barangay Sta. Barbara, Tugbungan and San Roque.
While the declaration of the city’s safety against HFMD is a positive development, the data on other infectious diseases highlights the need for ongoing public health efforts and awareness campaigns. (Jullienne Veronica Tuazon/City Government of Zamboanga PIO)
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