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METALINE FALLS — Selkirk Elementary School has recently had several cases of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease, according to a press release from Selkirk School District nurse Misty Reed.
HFMD is caused by a virus called Coxsackievirus A16. People infected with Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease can spread it to others when they cough or sneeze. People can also get hand, foot, and mouth disease if they come into contact with an infected person’s blister fluid or feces.
Lower the risk of being infected by doing the following: Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds; disinfect dirty surfaces and soiled items; avoid close contact such as kissing, hugging or sharing eating utensils or cups with others.
Symptoms indicative of approaching disease can include a fever of around 101°F to 103°F; fatigue; a sore throat; abdominal pain and/or a poor appetite; and respiratory symptoms. In a day or two sores or blisters may appear in or on the mouth, and sores may appear on the hands, feet and sometimes the buttocks and legs. Some people may experience diarrhea and joint pain, and in some cases a skin rash may appear before the blisters do.
Incubation period for the virus is usually three to six days for a person to get symptoms after being exposed to the virus. HFMD is infectious two days before the rash appears and during the acute stage of illness. The rash/ blisters are not itchy.
HFMD is highly contagious and spreads easily through coughing and sneezing. It spreads through infected stool, such as when a diaper is changed or when a young child gets stool on his or her hands and then touches objects that other children put in their mouths.
Treatment includes topical solutions or gels that may be prescribed by a physician to help reduce oral discomfort. This is a virus, so antibiotics will not be prescribed. Drink plenty of liquids to stay hydrated. Seek medical care if the child is not able to stay hydrated due to mouth sores. Students should not return to school until after the fever is gone for 24 hours, when the blisters or sores are dry, and when they no longer have a sore throat and feel well enough to participate in normal activities. Call or see your family physician for more information.
