An increase in a childhood rash disease has been recently observed on Guam according to the Department of Public Health.
According to a press release, Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease is “a usually mild but highly contagious viral infection common in young children under 10-years-old” often spread by daycares.
Related symptoms include fever; sore throat; painful sores on tongue, gums, and inside of the cheeks; red rash on hands, feet or butts; loss of appetite, irritability in toddlers and infants and, in general, just feeling unwell.
The release also states that although the child is most contagious during the first week, the virus can remain in the body weeks after the symptoms are gone.
There is no vaccine to protect against the viruses that cause the disease, the press release states, but people can lower the risk by washing their hands after using the bathroom or changing diapers, not sharing towels or washcloths, covering your nose and mouth when sneezing and coughing, cleaning children’s shared toys regularly, avoiding taking children to overcrowded places, avoiding close contact with individuals exposed to the disease, and keeping infected children out of school.
To treat the disease, Public Health suggests taking over-the-counter medications for fever and pain and using mouthwashes and sprays to numb mouth pain.
If symptoms persist, parents are encouraged to see their health care provider.
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