Ewww. FSU students have come face to face with a hand, foot, and mouth disease outbreak requiring a complete scrubdown of their dormitories and the cancellation of several events. What have they been doing?
According to the Tallahassee Democrat, the outbreak which has hit Florida State University’s student living quarters is considered “a viral infection more common to babies and toddlers.”
FSU sent out a health alert to students on Wednesday, notifying them of the outbreak, said ABC Action News
“We are aware of more than a dozen cases so far,” said Lesley Sacher, director of the FSU Health and Wellness Center.
There is no treatment for the virus which can cause “mouth sores, skin rash and fever,” according to the Centers for Disease Control.
University officials said it takes about five days for the infection to run its course.
“Students should take the necessary precautions to sanitize their living and communal spaces including bathrooms,” said Tom Jacobson, director of Environmental Health & Safety.
FSU is cleaning affected dormitories with bleach and enacting “sanitation protocols for all public spaces on campus,” officials said.
The university has notified the county health department, and plans to alert the local restaurants and bars to tell them to sanitize their establishments, 12 News noted.
“The most important piece of advice is to wash your hands often with soap and water,” Sacher said.
The CDC said hand, foot and mouth disease is highly contagious and 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.”
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