The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) is asking the public to be aware of an increase in numbers and severity of an outbreak of the viral disease, hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) according to a news release Monday.
According to a report in the Birmingham News, ADPH infectious disease specialist Mary McIntyre, MD said there have been at least 37 cases reported in Alabama, including some hospitalizations, but a total number isn't available. The oldest person was in the mid-50s. Â
Testing on samples collected from patients by the CDC showed that the virus implicated, Coxsackie A6 virus, is known to cause HFMD overseas but has not been seen in an outbreak in the US.
Dr. McIntyre says because of this, the population has no immunity to this strain which will make people more vulnerable and enhance the spread.
The ADPH does note:
The public should not be unduly alarmed at this time; however, individuals diagnosed with hand, foot and mouth disease need to follow the recommendations of their health care provider to remain at home until they have no fever, all lesions have scabbed over, and no lesions have appeared for two days.
What is HFMD?
HFMD is a common viral illness in children and infants which is commonly confused with the animal disease foot-and-mouth (also called hoof-and-mouth) disease. Foot and mouth disease is a disease of cattle, sheep, and swine; however, the two diseases are not related—they are caused by different viruses. Humans do not get the animal disease, and animals do not get the human disease.
Hand, foot and mouth disease is caused by a group of viruses called the enteroviruses. Coxsackievirus A16 is the most common cause of HFMD in the United States.
Infection of HFMD is spread from person to person by direct contact with infectious virus. The virus is found in the nose and throat secretions, saliva, blister fluid, and stool of infected persons. The virus is most often spread by persons with unwashed, virus-contaminated hands and by contact with virus-contaminated surfaces.
Symptoms of HFMD may include fever, headache, vomiting, fatigue, malaise, ear pain, sore throat, non-itchy body rash, sores with blisters on palms of hands and soles of feet, oral ulcer, sores or blisters, loss of appetite, and diarrhea.
Infected persons are most contagious during the first week of the illness. The viruses that cause HFMD can remain in the body for weeks after a patient's symptoms have gone away. This means that the infected person can still pass the infection to other people even though he/she appears well.
There is no specific treatment or vaccine for HFMD, only symptoms are treated.
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