This has been updated to include new information.
LAFAYETTE, IN — The spread of hand, foot and mouth disease at McCutcheon High School has put its freshman football operations on pause because of players contracting the illness.
Sue Scott, spokesperson for Tippecanoe School Corp., said the school was aware of 10 confirmed cases as of Friday morning. The majority of those are students on McCutcheon’s freshman football team.
“Athletic facilities, including locker rooms and weight rooms, are undergoing enhanced cleaning,” Scott said. “At this time, we have not seen anything unusual or an uptick in cases at other schools.”
Hand, foot and mouth disease is common in infants and children younger than 5, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The illness is passed through respiratory droplets, fluid from blisters and contact with surfaces with virus particles.
Tippecanoe County Health Officer Seema Kengeri said hand, foot and mouth is not classified as a reportable infection, like chicken pox or measles, unless cases are seen in clusters such as the outbreak at McCutcheon.
Education and guidance on proper cleaning protocols are being provided to McCutcheon, Kengeri said, as well as other area schools and day-care facilities, to help stamp out the spread within the community. The county health department has also offered McCutcheon cleaning supplies if needed to effectively sanitize locker rooms and sports equipment.
The high school’s decision to cancel its practices, Scott said, was a proactive step in helping to stop the spread of the illness among students. Because of the cancelation of practice, Monday’s scheduled game against Clinton Prairie has been canceled.
Hand, foot and mouth disease is not usually serious, the CDC says, but in rare instances it can lead to viral meningitis. In even rarer circumstances, cases of the illness can lead to encephalitis, or swelling of the brain.
The CDC advises to see a health-care provider if the patient cannot drink water well, has a fever lasting longer than three days, has a weakened immune system, is younger than 6 months or has symptoms that do not improve after 10 days.
Jillian Ellison is a reporter for the Journal & Courier. She can be reached via email at jellison@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: McCutcheon High School pauses freshman football because of hand, foot and mouth disease
Reporting by Jillian Ellison, Lafayette Journal & Courier / Lafayette Journal & Courier
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
