Andrea Macko is reporting for the Greenville Pioneer the Greenville Central School District last week released a letter to all parents and guardians advising their child may have been exposed to hand, foot and mouth disease, also known as the coxsackievirus. Greenville Superintendent Tammy Sutherland said that after speaking with one of the district‟s nurses, “there are a few confirmed cases of the coxsackievirus, which is expected.” Sutherland said, the letter “is proactive to make parents aware of possible exposure and to [provide] information about the virus.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HFMD is a common viral illness that usually affects infants and children younger than 5 years old. However, it can sometimes occur in older children and adults. Typical symptoms include fever, mouth sores and a skin rash. Exposure to the virus can be caused in through close personal contact. HFMD is often confused with foot-and-mouth, or hoof-and-mouth disease, which effects cattle, sheep and pigs, but the two diseases are unrelated and caused by different viruses. Anyone who comes down with the virus is advised to stay home and to check with a healthcare professional about when to return to work or school. The coxsackievirus was discovered in 1948 by a scientist working at the state Department of Health in Albany. Read the full story in the Greenville Pioneer.