Goodrich ? Several cases of hand-foot-and-mouth disease have parents at Reid Elementary on the lookout for symptoms.
The viral infection’s name may startle parents, as it sounds similar to diseases affecting cattle.
According to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, the similarities end there: the CDC site states the diseases are not related and are caused by different viruses.
As of last week, four cases of HFMD had been noted, said Reid principal Paul Minns.
HFMD is a common illness of fever, painful mouth sores, and sometimes a blistering rash on palms, foot soles, or buttocks. It normally affects infants and children in summer and early autumn.
In most cases the illness requires only home treatment.
Moderately contagious, HFMD is spread by direct contact with nose and throat discharges, saliva, fluid from blisters, or the stool of infected persons.
The illness has a three to seven-day incubation period, and a person is most contagious during the first week of the illness.
Preventive measures include frequent handwashing, and cleaning with a diluted bleach solution.
While this isn’t the first time Minns has seen the illness, it has been hitting Genesee County schools a bit harder this fall.
‘We’ve had it before, but it seems to be more prevalent this year than in years past,? Minns said.
To learn more about HFMD, go to http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/revb/enterovirus/hfhf.htm.