Southern Boone High School Principal Dale Van Deven said Tuesday that the school’s custodial staff would be taking extra steps, including using an industrial sanitizing machine to clean locker rooms, classrooms and the weight room after a small outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease.
The virus is thought to have started among Eagles football players after an out of town game.
The spread of the virus has been small – about four or five boys in the school and one at the Middle School – but Van Deven said he has staff taking measures – which started last week – to not let the virus spread.
“We had a parent call us this morning about this and another parent come visit,” Van Deven said. “We appreciate the communication and need to know when kids have something like this or when it is spreading.”
According to the Center for Disease Control, a person does not show symptoms of the virus for as much as three to six days after they have been exposed. A person exposed to the virus generally has a low-grade fever, which is followed by discolored spots or bumps which may blister. The rash generally goes away in about a week.
The virus is passed from person-to-person in close personal contact or contaminated objects can spread the disease.
However, one parent told the Journal her son had contracted staph infection due to the blisters on his face. She said her son’s doctor said he was “highly contagious and should stay home from school.
According to SoBoCo school nurse Robin Bullard, the district has received reports of four students with Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease. “They are addressing how they clean the locker rooms and bathrooms,” Bullard said. However, Bullard said it was not necessary in most cases to keep students at home.
“We want the blisters covered as they are contagious and a student with a bad case should not be at school.”
~ Find out more on this story in today’s Journal ~
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