Philadelphia Doctor Warns of Rising Hand, Foot, and Mouth Cases in Region

A highly infectious virus is spreading throughout the Philadelphia area, and it's one that doesn't come up in conversation frequently.

Physicians are encountering an increasing number of instances of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease which leads to uncomfortable skin eruptions and lesions.

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"All of our locations throughout Philadelphia and the nearby counties are experiencing numerous cases," stated Dr. Bob Czincila, the medical director at Vybe Urgent Care.

Czincila stated that the infectious virus is primarily spreading in daycare centers and summer camps.

Children are arriving with rashes appearing on their fingers, hands, and sometimes their toes and feet, along with sores in the mouth, which can make eating very challenging for young kids due to the pain and burning sensation," he explained. "It isn’t necessarily because they’re touching their mouths and transferring the sores; rather, these symptoms are all different expressions of the same virus.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health stated that it hasn't gotten any notifications about outbreaks of hand, foot, and mouth disease. This refers to more than three cases occurring within a single location in a seven-day period.

A condition that may also lead to a fever typically persists for roughly seven days, with signs emerging between three and six days following exposure.

"It often spreads via water supplies due to how it transmits. If kids do not properly wash themselves after using the restroom, it can be transmitted through the fecal-oral pathway, meaning individuals could accidentally ingest pool water or camping water," explained Czincila.

It may transmit through contact with an infected person, and the virus can remain viable on objects for a brief duration.

"It mainly affects children, but we definitely see adults who have young kids that might catch it from them, and these adults also end up coming in," Czincila stated.

There is no specific cure for hand, foot, and mouth disease; treatment focuses on relieving discomfort using medications such as acetaminophen.

Physicians noted that the primary danger associated with the virus is that individuals, particularly young ones, may experience dehydration due to challenges in consuming food and fluids.