SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Dr. Alicia Wilson, DO, is a pediatrician at the South Bend Clinic. She says in the past couple of weeks, she saw cases of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease almost every day.
She says it typically shows up in the form of rashes on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet. It can also cause sores in the mouth, fever, and fussiness. Wilson says kids usually recover within two to seven days.
According to the New York Times, the CDC doesn’t require doctors to report this disease, so there's not a lot of case count data. Health officials in a few states are tracking more outbreaks of the disease this year compared to recent years.
The Indiana Department of Health told ABC57 it does not track data for the disease because it is not a "reportable condition," so it did not have information to share.
Wilson says—like Influenza, for example–Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease has a season where it's more common.
“Hand, Foot and Mouth is typically seen most of the time in the summertime and early fall, but you can see it anytime throughout the year, but traditionally, seasonally, it's been those times of the year,” said Wilson.
It’s a virus typically seen in kids under the age of seven, but Wilson says in the past couple of years, they’ve seen it more often in older kids and teens. Parents can also get the disease from their children.
She says it’s pretty contagious.
“It's spread by what we call the fecal-oral route. So, it's spread and shed in the stool and then in secretions like saliva. So, good hand washing is super important, and cleaning surfaces, especially after changing diapers, especially for like daycare situations or in the home, is how we prevent it from spreading.”
Stephanie Malindima, owner of Angels Among Us Daycare, requires constant handwashing and disinfecting at her two locations in South Bend and Mishawaka.
“Pretty much like disinfecting tables, knob handles, faucets, light switches, toys. Every time a child puts it in their mouth, we take it away. We bleach it, you know,” said Malindima.
She says her daycares have specific health and safety requirements on a day-to-day basis, according to the state’s childcare rating and improvement system.
“We also take temperatures every day, so like when they come in, we take the temperatures make sure that nobody has a fever before they even stay. And then, if somebody is sick, we also ask that siblings stay home too, so it doesn't spread through the daycares,” said Malindima.
She says in recent years, they had one case of Hand, Foot, and Mouth. Malindima says in that case, it didn't spread beyond that child.
“As soon as we notice something like that, we basically get a hold of parents right away, have them come and get the child, and then we also require documentation that they're released to come back to daycare so that it's safe for everyone,” said Malindima.
If your child does get HFMD, Wilson says the most important thing is to keep kids hydrated and comfortable. She says cold things like popsicles and cold drinks can help. Avoid acidic or spicy food as well as tomato or citrus-based foods.
“The sores in the mouth can get really painful, which then causes kids not to eat and drink. And they can get dehydrated. So, it's the most common complication from Hand, Foot, and Mouth,” said Wilson.