A viral infection has hit Florida State University prompting some major cleaning and cancellations.
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More than a dozen students at Florida State University (FSU) are sick with hand, foot and mouth disease, an illness that’s usually seen in young children.
The virus, for which there is no treatment, runs its course in about five days.
Several campus social events, including a fraternity-recruiting event, were canceled on Tuesday night to help limit the disease’s exposure, The Tallahassee Democrat reported.
According to officials, the disease is a common viral illness that typically affects children under 5 years old and includes symptoms such as fever, sore throat, mouth sores and skin rash. “Students should take the necessary precautions to sanitize their living and communal spaces including bathrooms”, said Tom Jacobson, director of Environmental Health & Safety.
“We’ve seen less than 16 cases on-site”, Director of University Health Services Lesley Sacher said, adding that she was aware of more students who either called without coming in or were seen by a health care provider elsewhere in the community.
FSU wiped down affected dormitories with bleach and advised people in the affected living spaces to use hand sanitizer.
All campus residences and student housing are being sanitized. Adults can have no symptoms and still pass the virus on to others. Last week, Pequannock High School had to reschedule its season-opening football game because of a hand, foot and mouth outbreak, according to The Associated Press.
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It’s a highly contagious disease that can be transmitted from person to person via direct contact with unwashed hands, by coughing and sneezing, or contact with blister fluid or surfaces contaminated with feces, the CDC said. “Humans do not get the animal disease, and animals do not get the human disease”, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes.
