HARTFORD, Connecticut — Along with the warmer weather, summer also brings a disease familiar to many in the health and child care industries, but perhaps not as familiar to parents: hand, foot and mouth disease.
It's a common viral illness that usually occurs in children and tends to pop up during summer and fall.
Hand, foot and mouth disease is a potential painful virus that is highly contagious among young children.
Though it's not uncommon, doctors say they've recently seen a spike in the number of cases.
In fact, Dr. Sachin Parekh who works in the emergency room says he probably saw eight or nine patients with it in just one day.
"We've seen them as young as 6 or 7 months old and as old as 11-12 year old kids," said Parekh.
Hand foot mouth syndrome shows itself as sores on the hands, the feet and even inside the mouth, which can be alarming to parents.
The virus, usually spread by direct contact, is a concern at many schools and daycares.
"Good hygiene is the way to prevent it. Washing with warm water soap and sanitizer," said Parekh.
The good news, the virus is short lived and usually goes away on its own after a few days.
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