WARNING following “Massive outbreak” of highly contagious virus

In the last month, one medical centre has had at least 10 cases through their doors.

My Health Medical Centre located at Westfield Liverpool has had four childcare centres report cases of hand, foot and mouth to them in addition to other single cases, reports Daily Telegraph.

“This is a massive outbreak. What we’ve realised is that parents don’t know what to do and are sending their children to childcare with it,” Bishoy Marcus said.

The My Health GP said if a child has a rash, keep them at home until it dries up.

“While they have blisters that are filled with fluid, keep them at home. Even once they pop, the virus can spread for a few more hours.”

Hand, foot and mouth is a highly contagious viral disease that is most common in children. Symptoms manifest three to seven days after making contact with the virus and it often presents with fevers, sore throat, lethargy and small blisters inside the mouth, hands and feet. It’s not uncommon to find blisters in other areas too.

Dr Marcus said small babies were most concerning if they contracted the virus.

“You have to make sure they’re getting enough fluid as possible because it can be too painful to swallow,” he said.

Treatment for hand, foot and mouth

“We encourage pain relief, anaesthetic gels and lozenges for older children to help with sore throats.

“It can take anywhere from five to seven days to settle down.

“The problem is that if a kid has it takes three to seven days before it manifests itself.”

The best way to keep the virus at bay is good hygiene.

Wash all your towels, bedding and good hand hygiene will stop it from spreading.

While children are most affected, adults can get it and are usually more severe.

What are the signs of a serious infection?

Signs that an infant or older child might have a more serious form of hand, foot and mouth disease include any of the following:

persistent fever (38°C or above for 72 hours or more)
abnormal movements / jerking movements
rapid breathing
excessive tiredness, drowsiness
excessive irritability
difficulty walking.

If any of these signs are present then the child should be seen by a doctor urgently even if they have been checked earlier in the illness.

How long should children stay away from childcare and school?

Children with hand, foot and mouth disease should be excluded from school or childcare facilities until their blisters have dried-up, and any rash (if present) has gone and any fever has settled.

Health authorities have also issued a warning over the measles outbreak in western Sydney, with 16 cases so far, and more likely. Read more on that HERE.

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17 Comments

- - mom94125 said
  - 10 Oct 2017
    12:46 pm
oh i just googled this real quick. i had never heard of this beforre

- - mom101628 said
  - 06 May 2017
    10:53 pm
I’ve never heard of this before – thanks for the warning and symptoms listed.

- - june11 said
  - 03 May 2017
    7:27 pm
I know somebody who caught it. She wasn’t allowed to prepare food at all. Her husband sterilised the house as much as he possibly could. He banned her from that area for others’ safety. She had to keep gloves on her hands which in hot weather was almost unbearable as they perspired and it made them even more painful. All dishes and cutlery she used was scalded with boiling water and washed separately as an additional precausion. Clothes were washed separately with very strong anti-bacterial washing liquid.

- - mom206279 said
  - 26 Apr 2017
    11:31 am
Poor kids. It looks awful for them.

- - mom160421 said
  - 25 Apr 2017
    12:12 pm
I didn’t even know this affected humans until I read this article.

- - tessie said
  - 25 Apr 2017
    11:20 am
Does anyone know what causes this in the first place. It is so distressing seeing little ones in pain and not being able to take that pain away.

- - mom93821 said
  - 25 Apr 2017
    5:47 am
Children should definitely be excluded from daycare and school if they have hand, foot and mouth. They need time to recover.

- - Ellen said
  - 25 Apr 2017
    2:40 am
Hand, foot and mouth disease is usually a mild viral illness which is common in children.
Diagnosis is made by a local doctor, and there is no specific treatment. The skin blisters of HFMD are infectious until they become crusty and there is no fluid in the blisters. The virus may also be shed in the faeces (poo) for several weeks after the blisters resolve. Very rarely, the virus can affect the lining of the brain or spinal cord, leading to more severe symptoms such as seizures, confusion, unsteadiness, and weakness.
At my daughters childcare centre there was recently also a case.

- - angie13 said
  - 24 Apr 2017
    8:46 pm
We have had hand foot and mouth and it is HORRIBLE. My older children didn’t have a rash until a week or so after they were sick. They did however have sore feet which I didn’t think anything of. But my little boy ended up really sick, with peeling feet for weeks and only a couple of little spots around his mouth and hands. He would sob and sob in pain. I also had it and was bed ridden but did not get a rash. I think keeping your kids at home even if it is just a virus and fever is so important.

- - rachel1970 said
  - 24 Apr 2017
    7:05 pm
I have four young children and thankfully, none of them have ever had it-well, as yet.

- - rovermum said
  - 24 Apr 2017
    4:37 pm
I had never heard of this before until my nephew had it. I thought it was not even a serious disease, but something we joked about. We all need to be vigilant on this one to avoid the spread.

- - ella12 said
  - 24 Apr 2017
    4:22 pm
A real worry, thanks for the update.

- - nealsq said
  - 24 Apr 2017
    4:09 pm
thank you for the picture, i have never seen it before and now i know what to look for

- - mom81879 said
  - 24 Apr 2017
    3:29 pm
I have heard that this disease is quite prevalent when kids are at school but none of mine ever had it

- - mom69828 said
  - 24 Apr 2017
    2:58 pm
We had this last year, first time ever. My two boys got it and so did I, and I was about 5 months pregnant. Adults version is nasty – had the blisters on my hands & feet, hurt to touch anything or even walk. Had vomiting, and really bad back pain. Kids only had it mild thankfully. But yes – keep your kids quarantined if you’re aware they have it. Seems common sense, but I know plenty of people who bring their sick kids to playgroup, kindy etc.

- - mom112217 said
  - 24 Apr 2017
    2:41 pm
Thanks for the warning and the symptons!

- - mom70876 said
  - 24 Apr 2017
    1:04 pm
This is not a good disease. It’s not serious of deadly, but the symptoms are so subtle at first. Knocks poor children around.