The City of Bulawayo has reported a total of 1,058 suspected cases of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) since November 2025.
HFMD is a common viral illness, mostly affecting children under five. It causes fever, painful mouth sores, and a rash on the hands and feet.
According to the latest report from the City of Bulawayo, no deaths have been recorded during this period.
However, the report warns that HFMD remains a serious public health concern, especially for young children. The report read:
“The foot, hand and mouth disease was contagious. It mainly affects children of pre-school (ECD) age.
“It was suspected that the sharing of toys was one of the ways of transmission. Medical samples had been collected for laboratory analysis.”
The report also notes that council clinics are dealing with other common conditions, such as ringworm, but medicine stocks have been running low.
Bulawayo remains on high alert for 13 serious public health threats, including Ebola, Marburg virus, mpox, cholera, typhoid, measles, and COVID-19, among others.
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