PHOTO: Minister of Education Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly
(Trinidad Guardian) — A class at a Carenage primary school is in quarantine after a pupil contracted hand foot and mouth disease.
Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly said it is “usual to have a few cases in schools from time to time” and this is the second to be detected for this school term. The first was at a school in south Trinidad.
Paediatric specialist Dr Joanne Paul said the outbreak isn’t a cause for concern.
“It happens every year. I mean, since I was a young doctor it’s a normal thing about paediatrics. So sometimes you have a spate of it, so like post-Carnival or post-anything you might have a string of influenza or something,” she said.
The disease is characterised by a rash and sores on an infected person’s hands, feet, and mouth. While anyone can contract the disease, Dr Paul said it is typically found in children.
“It’s very mild typically. You start off with a fever for about seven to ten days. So the fever would start off for about two days and then the rash comes on and then after a while the rash goes away, the fever goes away,” she said.
While the disease is typically mild, Dr Paul said it could be dangerous in children younger than six months old, especially if they have immune issues.
“Aside from that, if it’s a child who has no issue whatsoever who is between the ages of like one and five years old you should be fine,” she said.
According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the virus spreads similarly to COVID-19—through respiratory droplets and off surfaces. This is why, apart from keeping infected children home from school, they should be kept away from any younger children in the household.
“Make sure you keep the areas clean, you wash your hands in between everything, and if they’re sharing toys you keep that clean also,” Dr Paul advised.
She said proper hygiene practices like frequent hand washing were critical to stopping the spread of the disease.
Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease
The disease is caused by viruses that belong to the Enterovirus family such as:
• ↓Coxsackievirus A16
• ↓Coxsackievirus A6
• ↓Enterovirus 71 (EV-A71)
Symptoms:
• ↓Fever and flu-like symptoms
• ↓Mouth sores
• ↓Skin rash
Transmission:
• ↓Contact with respiratory droplets containing virus particles after a sick person coughs or sneezes
• ↓Touching an infected person or making other close contact, like kissing, hugging, or sharing cups or eating utensils
• ↓Touching an infected person’s faeces, such as changing diapers, then touching your eyes, nose, or mouth
• ↓Touching objects and surfaces that have the virus on them, like doorknobs or toys, then touching your eyes, nose, or mouth
• ↓Rarely, you can also get the viruses by swallowing recreational water, such as water in swimming pools. This can happen if the water is not properly treated with chlorine and becomes contaminated with faeces from a person who has hand, foot, and mouth disease.
Treatment:
• ↓There is no specific medical treatment for hand, foot, and mouth disease.
• ↓Take over-the-counter medications to relieve fever and pain caused by mouth sores. Never give aspirin to children.
• ↓Drink enough liquids. Mouth sores can make it painful to swallow, so your child may not want to drink much. Make sure they drink enough to stay hydrated.
Prevention:
• ↓Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser.
• ↓Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and shared items, including toys and doorknobs.
• ↓Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mout h. You can get infected with hand, foot, and mouth disease if you have the virus on your hands and then touch your eyes, nose, or mouth. To lessen your chance of getting sick, don’t touch your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• ↓Avoid close contact with sick people
