The Public advised about the seasonal increase in Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease

By Aabigayle McIntosh

The Head of the Pediatrician Department at the Sir Lester Bird Medical Center is advising members of the public, especially parents and those operating within Pre-school and Daycare setting of the seasonal increase in Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease.

Dr. Shivon Bell Jarvis said there is usually a spike in cases close to summer each year. She also stresses that this is not an outbreak, outlining that the Ministry of Health is the only department that can make such declaration.

“We are alerting the public of the expected natural increase as we approach the summer months.”, she said.

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is a mild, contagious viral infection common in young children. Symptoms include sores in the mouth and a rash on the hands and feet.

“It primarily affects children under the age of 5-years-old although it can affect any age group. It is very contagious so it can quickly pass through schools and daycare. The symptoms include fever, sore throat, sores to the mouth which can be very painful, drooling, a rash to the skin which can come around the knees or on the buttocks,” Dr Jarvis advised.

She explained that a child who has the disease should not attend school unless they are free from fever, have no active mouth sores, and they are active and playful enough to participate in regular activities.

Parent’s, Guardian and Caregivers are further advised to seek medical attention if they notice signs of dehydration, if the child is under the age of 6 months, of it symptoms persist for more than 7 to 10 days.

“We want to prevent Hand, Foot and Mouth from spreading very quickly and therefore we recommend handwashing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, this is not limited to our adults but our children should be shown how to appropriately wash their hands, let us remember to clean frequently touched surfaces avoid touching our eyes, mouth or even face,” Dr Belle Jarvis said.