Connaught Tribune has reported that at least four children have been hospitalized in Galway city in recent days after showing symptoms of Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease.
The disease is a mild yet contagious viral infection common in young children.
The first symptoms include fever, loss of appetite, lethargy, sore throat and small red spots in the mouth, throat, and skin which can become raised and may blister.
The virus is spread by coughs or sneezes.
As it is a virus, treatment is usually not needed - but symptoms can often take up to ten days to pass. Should your symptoms not pass in that time, patients should be taken to a doctor. In extremely rare cases, either viral meningitis or encephalitis can be contracted due to complications.
Children affected should drink plenty of fluids and can take children’s paracetamol to both relieve pain and bring down a temperature. Due to its contagious nature, those infected should be kept at home until the virus passes.
Thoroughly washing hands, covering your nose and mouth upon sneezing or coughing and avoiding sharing cups, glasses, towels or cutlery reduces the chance of the infection spreading while the virus is live.
The condition is common in children under ten years of age, however, the infection can also be contracted by adolescents and adults.
Hand, foot, and mouth disease is not the same as foot and mouth disease, which affects cattle, she, p and pigs. The two infections are unrelated, and you cannot catch hand, foot and mouth disease from animals.
Visit the HSE’s website for more information on the disease.
See More: Featured, Hand Foot And Mouth, Ireland
