Thirteen cases of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease have been reported at Princeton University since Thursday.
PRINCETON - Thirteen students have been diagnosed with Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease this year, university spokesman Martin Mbugua said Tuesday.
The cases were first reported on Thursday, according to The Daily Princetonian.
Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease, commonly called "HFMD," often causes painful sores inside the mouth as well as a skin rash on a person's hands or feet, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.
It most commonly affects students under the age of five but adults can contract the disease as well.
It was unclear what caused the outbreak at Princeton University Tuesday and a representative from Princeton University Health Services was not immediately available for comment Tuesday morning.
The CDC website states that some adults who are affected show no symptoms of HFMD but they are still able to pass it to others through close contact, coughing or sneezing.
Though there isn't a specific treatment for HFMD, someone who is infected can take over-the-counter medications to relieve fever and pain, the CDC website stated.
Extreme cases of HFMD can lead to viral meningitis, though those cases are rare.
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