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Johns Hopkins University is facing an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease that has left at least 129 people ill at its Homewood campus in North Baltimore.
University officials have warned students and faculty against this highly contagious disease, which is not subject to any specific treatment. The spread of the disease can be prevented by washing hands and other efforts.
The disease is caused by a group of viruses that are also responsible for polio. People who contract it may develop fever, sore throat, rashes on the feet and palms of the hands, and sores in the mouth and throat. The symptoms usually last only a few days.
Rashes can turn into painful blisters and some students have blistered on their face or fingers, causing them to lose their nails, said Dr. Roanna Kessler, Director of the Student Health and Wellness Center at Hopkins Homewood Campus .
Some students with the disease had to miss classes, she said.
University officials have no way of knowing where the outbreak comes from and they have not identified any commonality between infected people. Samples are submitted to the state laboratory for testing.
"It was really widespread," said Kessler. "It was in all the resident halls and off campus. It was difficult to target because it was widespread and affected different parts of the campus. "
People can contract the disease through close contact with an infected person, such as an embrace, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. It can also be transmitted through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes; by contact with feces, such as changing the layers; and contact with contaminated objects and surfaces, for example by touching a door handle.
Some people may have no symptoms, but can still transmit the disease.
University officials warned people of the epidemic, including the display of grass panels on major campus quads and flyers on campus, spokesman Dennis O'Shea said in an email. .
They also sent two messages and posted information on the university's online news site.
Institutional teams carried out additional clean-up work in affected areas, such as university residences, and distributed hand sanitizer and wipes.
Dr. Lee Fireman, a pediatrician at the Franklin Square Family Health Center MedStar, said he has witnessed one or two cases a week of the disease, which normally affects children but can also be contracted by adults.
He added that it was not uncommon for the disease to erupt around the hot summer months. Although the disease can cause a lot of discomfort, the most important risk is dehydration, because wounds in the mouth make it difficult to drink, he said.
"People should not panic when they see it because they do not know what it is," he said.
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