Back to school time means lots of kids close together and unfortunately – plenty of germs and viruses are being shared. One in particular that needs a closer look is the enterovirus. Daniel Boadwine, MD, with Avera Pediatrics explains what you should be aware of to keep your family as healthy as possible.
What is Enterovirus?
So it's a very common virus, can cause some stomach issues, can cause some breathing issues, but some subclasses of them can cause fun things like hand, foot and mouth. It's very common that kids will end up with these types of viruses.
What does treatment for enterovirus look like?
Usually it's supportive, and supportive is an umbrella term that just means it's the general things that you would do to make sure kids are staying hydrated, that their pain is controlled with maybe some Tylenol or Motrin, that they're still having good wet diapers if they're that young, or still urinating normally if they're older and toilet trained. So generally just trying to keep kids "stable," that's what typically supportive would be, and that's the general treatment for it.
When should parents seek medical help?
One of the largest complications that we can see is dehydration. So if kids are not drinking well because maybe they have some sores in their mouth, and it's quite painful for them, they won't drink, and when that happens they can get dehydrated. So if you notice that they just are not drinking like they used to, or if it's a younger infant and they're not breastfeeding well or taking a bottle well, and their wet diapers or their urine is starting to really decrease, that would be one good sign to come in and be seen. Other times it's if you're having persistent fevers and they just are uncomfortable. The fevers are to be expected, but if it's causing them a lot of discomfort and you feel like you need to just be evaluated to make sure this is hand, foot and mouth, that would be a good reason to come in too.
Is there an added concern with kids getting ready to go back to school?
Yes, it's always a concern when you have kids that are grouped together. We just had a huge, I would call it, outbreak. In the last couple of months there have been way more cases roll in, and that's pretty typical. You'll see spike and wave patterns throughout the year. So always when kids are gathered and coming back to school, it's always a concern. Most often you're going to see the younger kids who are more susceptible to this. So 5, 6, 7 and even under are going to be your largest group of kids. But teenagers, adults, anybody can catch it. It's just more common in the younger infants.
What tips and tricks do you have to avoid passing or contracting the virus?
The best thing you can do is wash your hands. Typically when it comes to these types of infections, I'll recommend with soap and water as opposed to hand sanitizer, but something is better than nothing. So really be careful with that, especially with infants who have this, oftentimes they'll shed the virus in that diaper, especially if they have any stool in the diaper. So make sure you're washing your hands really well after that. That's the best thing you can do to try and prevent the spread.
Your family provider is a great resource for treatment of enterovirus and other common issues. AveraChart is a great way to message your established provider with questions.
