July 24, 2010

Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease!

Oh noooooo!!!
Last week a few little kids came down with a one day fever. Soon after they started getting some spots on their body. The mothers assumed that it was the Hand-Foot-Mouth dieases, but they weren't quite sure.
Later, the older kids (my students) started coming down with fevers, and now, they're starting to break out in small blister type of things on their feet and cold sores in their mouth! So, this confirms that we've got the Hand-Foot-Mouth disease! Yahhhhh..... Adults are supposed to have a certain immune system going to where it's not likely that they'll get this disease, but they can be carriers and they can get this sickness if they aren't careful. Yikes....
Me...well, I'm with these kids all the time, so I'm definitely a carrier of the disease, but...I'm also not feeling so good today, plus I woke up with a slight sore throat (which is another symptom). Oooohh...... noooo......
Please pray for me and all the kids that have it here. Although it's a pretty mild disease...I still don't want it, nor do I want it to spread to others in the home.
I think it takes 1 or 2 weeks to be cured, but living with such a great number of people...I can see this lasting a little longer.

Hand, Foot, & Mouth Disease (HFMD)

Fast Facts
Description

Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common viral illness of infants and children. The disease causes fever and blister-like eruptions in the mouth and/or a skin rash. HFMD is often confused with foot-and-mouth (also called hoof-and-mouth) disease, a disease of cattle, sheep, and swine; however, the two diseases are not related—they are caused by different viruses. Humans do not get the animal disease, and animals do not get the human disease.

Illness

  • The disease usually begins with a fever, poor appetite, malaise (feeling vaguely unwell), and often with a sore throat.
  • One or 2 days after fever onset, painful sores usually develop in the mouth. They begin as small red spots that blister and then often become ulcers. The sores are usually located on the tongue, gums, and inside of the cheeks.
  • A non-itchy skin rash develops over 1–2 days. The rash has flat or raised red spots, sometimes with blisters. The rash is usually located on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet; it may also appear on the buttocks and/or genitalia.
  • A person with HFMD may have only the rash or only the mouth sores.

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