13 incidences of hand, foot and mouth disease diagnosed on campus

Thirteen students have been diagnosed with hand, foot and mouth disease since the beginning of this academic year as of Thursday — a stark increase from last year's single case, University Spokesperson Martin Mbugua said.

University Health Services Director John Kolligian deferred comment to Mbugua.

“The cause of the rise in cases at Princeton is unknown,” UHS Health Educator Kathy Wagner said. “We don’t really know why there might be a cluster like this, it just happens occasionally. So the cause in the rise of cases at Princeton isn’t something we’re going to know.”

Hand, foot and mouth disease is a viral illness that usually affects children under 5 years old. Symptoms include a sore throat, reduced appetite, fever and malaise. Sores may appear in the mouth and a skin rash, sometimes with blisters, may develop on the palms of hands and the soles of feet.

Adults may not experience any symptoms yet still pass the disease on to peers and children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The disease is spread from close contact with an infected person, and contact with contaminated objects such as a doorknob. The CDC website says an infected person is most contagious during the first week of infection and should stay at home.

According to CDC Health Communications Specialist Ian Branam, hand, foot and mouth disease is a clinical syndrome, meaning that one can be diagnosed only if he or she has symptoms. He explained that the illness is typically mild, and nearly all patients recover in seven to 10 days without medical treatment.

“There’s no vaccine for hand, foot and mouth disease, and there’s really no [disease-specific] treatment,” Wagner said.

She added that treatment would consist of symptom management, including taking pain relievers to reduce a fever and using mouthwash to numb mouth pain.

“Containing the disease is something we can all work together to do by practicing good hygiene … for each person to protect themselves by washing their hands often with soap and water, disinfecting surfaces and soiled items, and avoiding close contact, kissing, hugging, sharing eating utensils or sharing cups,” Wagner said.

This outbreak echoes the appearance of meningitis B at the University. Between March 2013 and March 2014, there were nine meningitis B diagnosesrelated to the University.The strain found on campus was the same strain that killed a Drexel University student after her contact with a Princeton student at a social mixer.

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Meningitis B's prevalence triggered the cancellation of many University programs, including Princeton Preview which could no longer include its overnight component. The University held mandatory vaccinations for the members of Class of 2018 and Class of 2019.

In spring 2015, the CDC declared that since the vaccinations, the University had seen no new cases of meningitis B.

Wagner noted that hand, foot and mouth disease does not pose as serious a threat to the campus community as meningitis B.

“Hand, foot and mouth disease is a common, mild viral disease, and so when you compare it to meningitis… there’s not much of a comparison,” Wagner explained.

Meningitis B causes the death of approximately 120 people every year in the United States, and about one of every five survivors lives with permanent disabilities, such as seizures, amputations, kidney disease, deafness, brain damage and psychological problems. On the other hand, she said that the symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease typically go away after several days.