Jakob is healing after contracting hand, foot and mouth disease on a family trip to Mexico.
Image Credit: Contributed
March 04, 2016 - 2:30 PM
KAMLOOPS - A local mother is advising parents be cautious of hand, foot and mouth disease after her 18-month-old son displayed symptoms of the virus after the family returned from a trip to Mexico.
Jennifer Bennett says she knew something was wrong as soon as her son Jakob had a fever and broke out into blisters all over his body. Since returning to Canada from a resort in Mexico, the sores have scabbed over but she says the incident ruined the family’s trip.
"You don’t just go on vacation and get stuck with your son developing this virus. I’m thinking it came from the (resort) swimming pool,” she says. Bennett says her doctor told her she’s never seen a case so severe. The blisters have left the toddler with immense pain and discomfort over the last week.
Bennett says she chose to take her concern to local media to let the public know the disease is out there and can affect travellers.
According to government travel notices, hand, foot and mouth disease is a common viral illness affecting babies and children. There is no vaccine or medicine that protects against it.
An infant, child or adult can catch the disease after exposure to an infected person’s secretions, which includes saliva, blister fluid and feces. Objects and surfaces touched by an infected person can also transmit the disease.
Risk of infection is year-round in tropical climates and travellers are at increased risk if visiting an overcrowded area.
For more information on hand, foot and mouth disease, click here.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Glynn Brothen at gbrothen@infonews.ca or call 250-319-7494. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2016