Hand, foot and mouth disease spreading around Kamloops
A virus called hand, foot and mouth disease is making its way around Kamloops.
It's a common viral illness that mainly affects infants and children but can sometimes occur in adults and is caused by a group of viruses called enteroviruses, according to the government of Canada.
The virus is considered mild and is not a reportable illness to the Interior Health Authority, but it is highly contagious and in severe cases can cause painful symptoms including blistering on the hands, mouth, throat and feet.
Some parents are concerned about taking their children to crowded places like parks and water parks this summer because of it.
Kamloops mom Jordan Bri-anne O’Beirne said her two-year-old picked up the virus at a water park in the Westsyde community on June 30. She found out later she wasn’t the only parent who visited the park recently and ended up with a sick kid a few days later.
“Other moms in the area are on a Facebook page together and that’s how we linked the virus to the water park,” O’Beirne said. “On the same day we were at the park someone made a post about her baby getting the virus from there. Then it happened to us along with several others.”
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Beirne said a few days after visiting the water park her daughter got a high fever that didn’t break for 24 hours. The next day the toddler had an itchy red rash all over her body and blisters on her tongue.
“She was absolutely miserable, her skin was sore and itchy,” she said. “It took a solid week for her to feel better.”
As soon as her daughter started feeling better, Beirne's boyfriend contracted it.
“He didn’t get the rash but he got blisters in his throat and mouth and sores on his hands,” she said. “Sometimes it spreads to parents and it is more painful for adults. He’s been taking Tylenol and the pharmacist suggested he take oral Benadryl and apply steroid cream.”
Beirne said the family stayed at home until they were better to avoid spreading the virus and they wash their hands a lot, but she said the virus continues to spread around town.
“I run into other moms all the time who are going through this, it is pretty much all over Kamloops,” she said.
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Hand, foot and mouth disease is most common in the summer and early fall, according to HealthLink B.C.
Symptoms start three to five days after contact with an infected person, typically with a mild fever, then small painful blisters can develop on the inside of the mouth, on the tongue or on the gums.
Small red spots can show up on the palms of hands, soles of feet and sometimes on the butt, and may turn into blisters.
Once infected a person is contagious for 7 to 10 days and it is possible to have the infection without symptoms.
The virus is spread through saliva, through air droplets spread by sneezing and coughing, and through touching objects contaminated with the infected air droplets.
You can also be infected by touching surfaces contaminated with fluid from the blisters or fecal matter. The virus can stay for up to several weeks in the bowels of an infected person and can be spread during that time, said B.C. Health.
Hand, foot and mouth disease can spread easily in child care settings and other places where children are close together if proper hygiene practices are not used. Good hygiene during and after infection is very important in preventing the spread of hand, foot and mouth disease.
Hand, foot and mouth disease is not a reportable illness so Interior Health were not advised of the number of current cases of the virus, according to an email to iNFOnews by Interior Health.
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