FITCHBURG, Mass. — At least one student at a Fitchburg high school has been diagnosed with hand, foot, and mouth disease, an illness that is rare in older children but highly contagious.
Coxsackie virus, which presents itself as a fever, sore throat, cough, rash, sores and blisters, is commonly seen in children under five, but recently has canceled high school games and after-school activities in outbreaks around the country.
Administrators at Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School informed parents by phone on Friday that a football player was the first and only student diagnosed with the illness.
“This student may have contracted the disease during a football game – most likely a Junior Varsity game played on Monday,” Principal Thomas Browne said in the message to parents. “An opposing school made us aware that they had players recovering from the illness, but their team doctor informed us that the effected players were beyond the contagious period. We did make the parents of football players aware of this concern prior to the game last week even though indications were that transmission was unlikely.”
That team Monty Tech was playing on Monday was Quaboag Regional High School in Warren.
FOX25 reached out to officials at Quaboag Regional High School and Monty Tech , but could not reach anyone for comment.
Meanwhile, Monty Tech maintenance workers are sanitizing facilities, and administrators are urging students to wash their hands often and avoid contact with those who are sick.
Football players gathered in school Friday to be screened for symptoms.
“Typically, by this time, symptoms of the illness should be evident, but I am happy to report that no other player is demonstrating symptoms,” Browne said. “Nevertheless, the infected student was in school yesterday so we feel compelled to share this information with all students, parents, guardians and staff members.”