The rash you should be on the lookout for as cases rise in Virginia

There has been an increase in the number of children in Fairfax County, Virginia, that are being diagnosed with hand, foot and mouth disease.

There have been a total of six cases in Fairfax County, five of those in the last two months, and health officials say it’s very contagious.

“We’re seeing a lot of it right now,” said Tiffany Kimbrough, a pediatrician at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University. “It’s a common virus that we often see spread in the summer months.”

She said it’s often seen in day care centers.

“It’s spread through respiratory droplets, through drooling and contact with stools,” Kimbrough said.

While a rash on the hands and feet are a classic symptom, she said you can see it in other areas, too.

“The blisters can be also in the diaper region, on the back of the throat. It can be really painful when you’re trying to eat and drink,” she said.

She recommended keeping you and your child as clean as possible with good hygiene routines.

“Really good hand washing is important, especially after contact with any of the drool, after diaper changes or contact with any of the blisters, especially after they’ve popped,” she said.

While the disease isn’t deadly, Kimbrough said you have to make sure your child isn’t getting dehydrated since sores often also show up on the back of the throat.

You should check that your child is “making at least one wet diaper every eight hours is really the biggest thing, so that we can make sure they’re staying on top of their fluids,” she said. “Avoid things that are acidic or that might burn the back of the throat, and go for our bland, more boring things, just to make sure that we’re staying on top of fluids is really important.”

Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.

© 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.