Pune sees spike in hand, foot, and mouth disease cases
Pune is seeing a noticeable jump in hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) cases, mostly in children aged one to five, but older kids are getting it too.
The usual signs? Fever, painful mouth sores, and those uncomfortable blisters on hands, feet, and sometimes the mouth or buttocks.
Doctors say this kind of spike happens every October, and while HFMD is usually mild, it can make kids pretty miserable for a few days.
How to stop the spread
HFMD spreads easily—think saliva, sneezes, dirty hands, or touching things someone sick has touched.
There's no special medicine, so the main thing is keeping kids hydrated and comfy until it passes.
Doctors are urging parents to keep sick kids home and boost hygiene—lots of handwashing and wiping down surfaces—to stop it from spreading in schools and daycares.
Private clinics in Pune are seeing more cases than public hospitals, so a little extra awareness goes a long way right now.