Outbreak near Reno contained

RENO -- Health officials say they have identified a rare, more severe strain of hand, foot and mouth disease in Washoe County that has appeared in only three other places in the country, but they say the outbreak has been contained.

Thirty cases of coxsackie virus were identified in the Truckee Meadows. Since November, 38 cases turned up in Alabama, seven in California and one in Connecticut.

"It may confuse both the doctors doing the diagnosing and the health departments," said Dr. Joe Iser, district health officers for the Washoe County Health District. His team's findings on the outbreak have been published in a national journal produced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"This brings it to their attention," he said.

Hand, foot and mouth disease is common, especially in children under the age of 5. The illness typically brings a low fever, rash and sores on the hands, feet and mouth.

The new strain, which showed up in January, causes heavier rashes in those areas, plus sores on the knees, elbows, arms, legs, buttocks and genital areas. Health officials gathered samples and had them analyzed by a laboratory, which confirmed the rare strain.

It has been identified in European and Asian countries and only recently has made its way to the United States.

There is no known cure for the virus, but it's mild and usually goes away within a few days or a week. The biggest problems arise when children scratch their sores, opening themselves up to a secondary infection.

Iser said epidemiologists had been trying to identify how the virus made its way to Reno, perhaps from someone who visited family in another part of the country that has experienced an outbreak. But they've hit a dead end.

The virus can be prevented by washing hands often, especially after changing diapers or using the restroom, and by disinfecting toys.