Health officials across central Pennsylvania say cases of hand foot and mouth disease are on the rise.
Hamilton Health in Harrisburg says its clinic has seen an increase in cases this year. Some nurses saw three cases a week.
“They assume something horrible and they’re going to die from it, or they’re going to need antibiotics or something like that. It just looks worse than what it really is,” said Monica Johnson, a nurse at Hamilton Health.
In July, pediatricians at Penn State Children’s Hospital were still seeing hand foot and mouth disease at their clinical sites in Lancaster and Cumberland counties.
“Just keep your toys clean. Try to prevent transmission of objects to children with mouth to nose, running noses things of that nature,” Johnson said.
Health officials expect to see cases rise as a new school year approaches.