With summer comes the increase in hand, foot, and mouth disease
cases. 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 8 or 9 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