The Iloilo Provincial Health Office (IPHO) confirmed 1,115 cases of HFMD from January 1 to February 4.
Only nine out of 43 municipalities, according to IPHO, are free of HFMD cases. More than 480 barangays across the province have recorded HFMD cases.
According to IPHO chief Dr. Maria Soccoro Colmenares-Quion, the number represents a remarkable increase compared to the same period in 2022, where there were just 53 instances of HFMD. Quion said that from January 29 to February 4, 441 cases of HFMD were reported.
Despite the many cases, she claimed there is no outbreak. In a statement on Friday, February 10, she added, "Our figures are high, but that's because we have good surveillance and reporting."
Quion assured that the IPHO is working with concerned local government units (LGUs) to prevent the spread of HFMD.(Romeo Braceros Jr.)