Officials at Florida State University in Tallahassee have confirmed 56 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease in a nearly month long outbreak, according to a Monday alert from the university.
Christopher DeLisle, MD, medical director at FSU, told News4Jax that the university has only seen one additional case as of Sept. 30.
"I'm very optimistic that we will start trending down now, with all the precautions we've taken," Dr. DeLisle told News4Jax.
Precautionary measures taken by the university have primarily included informing students about the outbreak and encouraging good hand hygiene practices to prevent further spread of the disease.
According to the CDC, hand, foot and mouth disease is a common viral illness that typically affects children under the age of five. The viral infection is characterized by fever, loss of appetite and sore throat. One or two days after the fever begins, sores can appear in the mouth and can turn into ulcers. Blisters may form on the hands and soles of feet one or two days after the first signs of fever. The virus is spread via person-to-person contact or contact with objects contaminated by the mucus secretions, blister fluid or feces of an infected person.
Recently, officials from the University of North Florida in Jacksonville confirmed eight cases of hand, foot and mouth disease, according to News4Jax.
Officials from both universities informed News4Jax that sickened individuals on both campuses were primarily experiencing blisters on their hands and feet, but not their mouths.
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