Florida State University is being plagued by an outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease. More than a dozen students have been infected this week alone.
In a post on its official website, FSU announced that it has already set up preventive actions on campus after a lot of students were infected by the disease. Lesley Sacher, director of the FSU Health and Wellness Center, admitted that they are already aware of "more than a dozen cases so far."
The school has notified the Leon County Health Department. FSU officials are reportedly working diligently to educate the members of the university community to prevent further transmission.
The hand, foot and mouth disease is noted to last for about five days. There is no medicine to treat it. The disease is characterized by blisters that form on a patient's hands, feet and mouth with mild fever or sore throat.
The school has advised all community living facilities, such as University Housing, fraternity and sorority houses as well as scholarship houses, to sanitize their residences thoroughly and to provide bottles of hand sanitizer in each residence. FSU has also confirmed that it will continue its sanitation protocols for all public spaces on campus.
"Students should take the necessary precautions to sanitize their living and communal spaces including bathrooms," Tom Jacobson, director of Environmental Health & Safety, said. The school will also partner with establishments in the community, such as local bars and restaurants, to sanitize their premises.
According to The Tallahassee Democrat, several campus social events were canceled on Tuesday night to prevent the disease's further exposure to students. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) noted that the hand, foot and mouth disease is highly-contagious and can be transmitted from person to person through direct contact with unwashed hands, by coughing and sneezing or contact with blister fluid or surfaces contaminated with infected feces. While it is more common in infants and children, adults can also be infected without showing symptoms but still pass the virus to others.
