Medical director Dr. Richard Brostrom said there are no reported cases from Rota and Tinian.
“It appears that the…disease has run its usual course in the CNMI. In the end, there never was a serious outbreak, “he said.
He said typically, the virus will appear in early summer, adding that this is very common across the Pacific.
No children were hospitalized, he said, although there were several children with fever who were treated by their regular doctors.
Brostrom said they expect to see one or two more cases this year.
He pointed out that this is not a very serious illness.
“We want to make sure that if children are suspected of having fever and rash, they should stay at home and practice extra-hand washing,” he said.
HFMD is a common viral infection and occurs all over the world.
Anyone may be infected with HFMD but it usually occurs in infants and young children.
HFMD is not the same as foot and mouth or hoof and mouth disease, which occurs in animals, Public Health said..
Among the symptoms of HFMD are fever, poor appetite, feeling unwell and, often, a sore throat.
After a day or two, an infected person may develop painful sores in the area inside and/or around the mouth.
An infected person may also develop non-itchy rash, mainly on the palm of the hands and the sole of the feet.
It can be spread from person-to-person by contact with infected secretion of the mouth and nose, fluid from sores or blisters, and close contact such as hugging and kissing someone with HFMD.
An infected person is most contagious during the first week of the illness but may also remain contagious a few weeks after he becomes well.
