Virginia sees rise in hand, foot and mouth disease

HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (WAVY) — Hand, foot and mouth disease is highly contagious, with symptoms ranging from fever and a rash to sore throat and diarrhea, and as cases tend to rise in the summer months, we’re seeing a rise here in Virginia.

Nearly every parent has experienced it. "Hand foot and mouth, as a mom, it's a rite of passage," said mother Rachel Ousley. Every kid is gonna get it at some point." Health departments have been reporting a surge in cases, including in Fairfax County in northern Virginia. They've seen at least six reports since June. And, doctors say, we've seen a surge here, albeit a short one. "The surge itself, it kind of surges and goes down because usually the susceptibility, people get infected and then it goes away,” said Dr. John Harrington, a pediatrician and vic