FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (DC News Now) — August is the peak for hand, foot and mouth disease and residents in Fairfax County are seeing a spike in cases.
The Fairfax County Health Department reports that over the past two months, there has been an increase in the number of people receiving medical attention for the highly contagious illness, especially involving young children, up to 4 years old.
“Hand, foot and mouth disease is more common in summer and early fall, so we know this is consistent with the seasonality of it and what we know is we are seeing an increase in emergency room visits related to hand, foot, and mouth disease so we know parents are taking it seriously and having their children evaluated by medical professionals when they are seeing symptoms,” said Erin O’Connor, a public health nurse with the county’s Division of Epidemiology and Population Health.
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Hand, foot and mouth disease is usually not serious, but it’s very contagious and spreads quickly in schools and daycare centers. The viral illness usually affects infants and children younger than five years old. According to the Fairfax County Health Department, there have been six outbreaks of the disease reported in the county in 2025, with five of them being reported since June…