In response to an increase number of victims sickened by hand, foot and mouth illness in the schools of New Jersey and Florida, experts want parents to know everything about the causes, symptoms and preventions of such disease. Here are what they said:
What is Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease?
Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease, also known as HFMD, is provoked by a virus called an enterovirus that causes sores on or in the mouth and on the feet, hands and often the legs and buttocks, according to WebMD. Though it can occur sometimes in grownups, babies and kids below 5 years of age are the common victim of this disease according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What are its symptoms?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cited the following as the first symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease:
- Fever
- Reduced appetite
- Sore throat
- Malaise or sense of feeling unwell
- Painful sores
- Mouth ulcers
- Skin rashes/blisters
How to prevent Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease?
There's no protection against this disease, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To help avoid the illness from spreading:
- Wash hands regularly. To avoid HFMD, the most important thing to do is to wash hands frequently with soap and water, avoid touching the face and mouth as much as possible, Dr. Nadia Qureshi, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Loyola Medicine in Maywood, Illinois, said to Health.
- Always disinfect and clean the surfaces of the things like toys being touched by kids.
- Do not touch, kiss, contact, hug or share cups or eating utensils with somebody who has the disease. "Avoid close contact with someone who has it," Dr. Qureshi told Health.
- If the child has the disease, talk to the doctor and keep the child dehydrated, according to Familyshare. Also parents should prevent kids with the disease from going to school or day care center, the Familyshare added.
In the past few days, Florida State University Health Services has recognized over a dozen cases of hand, foot and mouth disease, a disease normally seen in kids, according to CCN. "We've seen less than 16 cases on-site," Director of University Health Services Lesley Sacher said to CNN.
