HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (WAVY) — Hand, foot and mouth disease is highly contagious, with symptoms ranging from fever and a rash to sore throat and diarrhea, and as cases tend to rise in the summer months, we’re seeing a rise here in Virginia.
Nearly every parent has experienced it.“Hand foot and mouth, as a mom, it’s a rite of passage,” said mother Rachel Ousley. Every kid is gonna get it at some point.”Health departments have been reporting a surge in cases, including in Fairfax County in northern Virginia. They’ve seen at least six reports since June. And, doctors say, we’ve seen a surge here, albeit a short one.“The surge itself, it kind of surges and goes down because usually the susceptibility, people get infected and then it goes away,” said Dr. John Harrington, a pediatrician and vice president of quality/safety and clinical integration at Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters. Usually affecting those five and under, symptoms are mild and last a few days. But they do have the potential to get worse.“They actually get viral meningitis from it and other kids can get some significant skin peeling afterwards,” Harrington said.
Ousley, a WAVY-TV 10 news producer, is no stranger to the viral infection. But while her son, Rowan had a mild case lasting only two days, her 18-month-old daughter saw something else.“Aurora had the full blisters that were large,” Ousley said. “They were like the size of my pinky nail, on her feet. And she has little feet. And then she had them all over her body. So, it started with just her hands, her foot, her mouth, then she got them on her back and on her belly, they were everywhere.”Symptoms lasted a full six days. Hand, foot and mouth is highly contagious, spread through coughing and sneezing. There are no medications for it, but you can guard against it.“It’s your typical things we did with COVID, right? Hand hygiene, make sure you clean your hands. And masks, right? If the child has a fever or coughing,” Harrington said.It’s something only time can heal. And thankfully, Aurora is now back to normal.“Active as ever,” Ousley said. “Little monkey climbing on everything.”…