A leading doctor says there's been a spike of hand, foot and mouth disease infections in Perth.
The disease is quite contagious, so what are the symptoms, how does it spread and should you be worried?
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease vary from person to person.
Some people may experience small, white blisters on their palms, the soles of their feet and in their mouth, with a bit of inflammation around the blisters.
This may lead to a sore mouth and throat, dehydration and a poor appetite.
Alternatively, a red skin rash with a brown scale on it could appear on a person's arms, hands, legs, feet and around the mouth.
The trunk area usually remains clear, according to the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne.
Dr Simon Torvaldsen, Chair of the WA Australian Medical Association Council of General Practice says the disease usually begins with a mild flu-like illness and low-grade fever.
"Particularly in children, usually it makes them mildly to moderately unwell — a bit like a cold or flu," he said.
However, children typically recover within a few days to a week.
Dr Torvaldsen says the disease is quite easily identifiable.
"There is no other condition really that gives you those spots that look like that, that are exactly in those areas only," he explains.
Until the fever subsides — and the spots or blisters start to dry up — it's important for the infected person to be isolated from school or work.
How does it spread?
The disease is most common in kids, who typically don't exercise good social distancing practices.
Therefore, the disease can run rampant though schools and kindergartens.
"It's readily transmitted through close contact," Dr Torvaldsen says, such as skin-to-skin contact.
"[Or] any sort of close contact or sharing of eating and drinking utensils."
To help prevent spread, the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne recommends washing your hands thoroughly after touching a child's bodily fluids — including their blisters — and when helping them blow their nose or go to the toilet.
It's best not to share drinking and eating utensils, plus towels, shoes, socks and toothbrushes.
Why has there been a spike?
Dr Torvaldsen says hand, foot and mouth comes in waves.
"That's just the nature of these viruses, a bit like colds and flus," he says.
However, it's not a reportable or notifiable disease, so it's not clear just how many cases there are.
"So other than a general sense that we are seeing more cases than usual, we actually don't know for sure exactly the numbers that are infected," he says, adding that doctors only see a portion of the cases that occur.
Should you be worried?
While it's not known to be deadly, the disease can be rather unpleasant.
Some people can find it hard to swallow because of their blisters.
It can also require people to take time off work.
But Dr Torvaldsen says "it's still generally not considered to be dangerous".
The Queensland Health Department warns in rare cases, people may develop a more severe case with complications such as meningitis, encephalitis or paralysis.
Can adults catch it?
Yes.
According to the Queensland Health Department, older children and adults can be affected by the disease, but it mainly occurs in young children.
What's the remedy?
Basically, just rest and paracetamol, Dr Torvaldsen says.
And water to help with potential dehydration.
