THE City Health Office (CHO) has declared that Zamboanga City is, for now, out of danger as far as hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is concerned, after registering 210 cases of the contagious viral illness from January 1 to April 5, 2025.
Dr. Anne Credo, CHO medical officer, said for the period, the HFMD had affected 15 villages, of which Putik village has registered the highest number of cases, with 41 primarily schoolchildren aged 10 and below.
Credo said 14 other villages have HFMD cases and these are as follows: Baluno 30; Tetuan, 24; Mampang, 16; Lamisahan and Guiwan with 14 cases each; Tugbungan, 13; Pasonanca, seven; Canelar, Mercedes and Sinunuc with five cases each; Campo Islam, three; Lumbangan, two; and Dulian-Upper Bunguiao and Sinubong with one case each.
Credo said most of those infected with the viral disease had experienced fever, rashes, loss of appetite, vomiting, body malaise, sore throat and cough.
The probable exposure sites were schools with 90 cases (43 percent), communities with 61 cases (29 percent), homes with 58 cases (28 percent), and daycare centers with one case (one percent).
Over the same period, Credo said Zamboanga City also registered 580 dengue cases in almost all of the 98 villages.
She said the 13 villages with the highest number of dengue cases are: Tetuan with 25 cases; Kasanyangan, 24; Talon-Talon and Mercedes with 23 cases each; Putik, 21; Baliwasan and San Roque with 19 cases each; Ayala, 18; Mampang and Tumaga with 17 cases each; Sta. Barbara, 16; and Labuan and Rio Hondo with 15 cases each.
Credo said two had died of dengue -- a three-year-old boy from Tictabon, an island village, and a 40-year-old woman from La Paz.
Meanwhile, she said Zamboanga City had also recorded 6,054 victims of animal bites, who were given medication.
Of the total, four had died of rabies -- a two-year-old boy from Mercedes village and three male adults from Sta. Barbara, Tugbungan and San Roque. (SunStar Zamboanga)