Another bovine outbreak?
We've had a major outbreak in recent history of foot & mouth disease, almost crippling the UK's livestock farming industry, affecting rural areas in terms of tourism and general movements of goods and people. Then, with the worst behind us, we have another handful of smaller outbreaks.
And has this affected us directly as a family in any way?
In a way, yes. Food prices and availability were obviously affected, but it's not that I'm talking about. It's our very own version of it, Hand, Foot and Mouth disease.
Which has absolutely nothing to do with the bovine [et al] variety. In fact, it's not even a bovine variety of the same disease, the only common elements are three words of the name. Nothing, it's not similar, it's not a human form, it's got jack all in common (apart from the aforementioned three words).
So which form of the disease has our wee fella got? Have you been listening, there is no "form" of "the" disease, they are totally different.
Right, clarity point over with, he's got Hand, Foot and Mouth disease at the moment. Symptoms started last Tuesday night really, a general feeling of being unwell, although we weren't aware of it. More symptoms on Wednesday with a sore mouth that we put down to back teeth (lumpy). Outwardly visible symptoms started on Friday afternoon, with chicken-pox like spots appearing. OK, it's got nothing to do with chicken-pox either, thanks for pointing that out. One quick visit to the doctor confirms it.
So we can't do anything other than let it run its course. He has some relief from the mouth sores by way of a generic spray (made by 3M, makers of the famous "re-record not fade away" Scotch video tapes - now that shows my age). Apart from that it's time he needs to get past it.
With an incubation period of 3-6 days we were doing the sums and it looks like he'll have picked it up at a local soft play area rather than nursery, but given he's been in nursery with early symptoms he may well have introduced it to nursery - possibly the third run of it there this year (at very least second).
I've added a link to the NHS's guide to the disease, along with the sheet the doctor printed out for us from www.patient.co.uk
And just for pure nostalgia, I've hunted down the 3M advert for Scotch's lifetime guarantee. I love the plant growing in the background...
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