Greene County Public Health is getting information out regarding the sudden increase in a certain illness.

Public Health Director Shelby Cooklin says Hand, Foot and Mouth is a viral illness that mostly impacts infants and children under five years old, and other people can contract it quickly.

“So, it spreads easily with direct contact, respiratory droplets, touching contaminated surfaces and stool. So, people are most contagious in the first week of illness and in children, daycares and schools, it can spread really quickly, obviously, because of like I mentioned before, the direct contact and the respiratory droplets. So good hygiene and keeping sick kids home please reduce the spread.”       

Cooklin points out some of the symptoms of Hand, Foot and Mouth are a fever, sore throat, painful sores or blisters in the mouth, or a rash or lesion on palms of hands and soles of the feet, rear end or groin and will last seven to ten days. She notes that while there are no treatments for the illness, people can still remedy the symptoms with Tylenol to control pain and fever, as well as certain mouth rinses. 

Cooklin adds that to only seek medical attention if Tylenol isn’t effective to reduce the fever, along with dehydration or other neurological changes.