The number of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) cases in Quezon City increased by 45 percent from 1 to 15 January 2025, compared to the same period last year.

According to the Quezon City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, 74 percent of those affected were children aged five years and below.

HFMD is transmitted through direct contact with an infected person or objects they have touched. It can also spread through coughing, sneezing, or contact with an infected person’s feces.

The Quezon City local government advises parents to immediately bring children showing symptoms of HFMD to health centers.

Symptoms include: Fever lasting more than three days and weak immune system.