Health department investigating cases of hand, foot and mouth disease at MSCS school
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – The Shelby County Health Department is working with Memphis-Shelby County Schools to investigate several confirmed cases of hand, foot and mouth disease at Sherwood Elementary School.
The illness is common in children under five, but adults can also get sick with it.
“The Health Department’s role is to provide guidance to Memphis-Shelby County Schools to reduce the spread of the HFMD virus,” said Dr. Bruce Randolph, Shelby County Health Department Director and Health Officer. “Shelby County Health Department has provided Memphis-Shelby County Schools with guidelines about the exclusion of symptomatic children from school and guidance on methods and approved products to use to disinfect classrooms and common areas in any impacted school.”
A doctor with Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital said that late summer/early fall is typically when they start to see more HFM cases.
Action News 5 asked him the ways to tell if your child is sick with HFMD or another virus.
“It starts off with a fever,” said Dr. Blake Bergeron. “So usually, most children when they get it will sometimes have a fever in 24 to 48 hours, and they may have that fever before other symptoms arise. After the fever comes painful ulcers that you’ll sometimes see in the back of the throat. So, a lot of children, especially our babies, when they get it, will act like their throat hurts.“
After that come red spots and a rash. One easy way to tell the rash is hand, foot and mouth disease? It’s itchy.
Dr. Bergeron says thorough hand washing will help stop the spread.
The health department says that other symptoms of HFMD include runny nose, appetite loss, nausea and vomiting.
“Parents should be on the lookout for symptoms, including fever, rash, sore throat, or mouth sores, keep sick children home from school, and see a health care provider for care and guidance. Excluding sick children from school and day care is the best way to limit the spread of the virus in the population,” Dr. Randolph said.
The department created a fact sheet on HFMD, which can be found here.
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