Virginia: Students warned about hand, foot, and mouth disease outbreak at a University

Many students who live on-Grounds received an ominous e-mail last week informing them that Hand, Foot and Mouth disease is on the prowl at the University. This notification prompted a flurry of confused questions, including “What is Hand, Foot and Mouth disease?” “How do I get it?” “What are the symptoms?” and “Will I be okay?” Hand, Foot and Mouth disease is actually a fairly common illness, spread by viruses much in the same way as the common cold. Several of its symptoms, too, match those of a cold or flu, including fever, general feeling of discomfort and a sore throat. After one or two days, rashes and sores appear, often on hands and feet and in the back of the mouth. These sores increase the contagiousness of the disease as they can rupture and leak fluid, causing the infection to spread.
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