Hand, foot, and mouth disease may be most commonly known to affect kindergartens and childcare centres, but hey, viruses ain’t picky. Dozens of police officers in the Kowloon West region, which includes Yau Tsim, Mong Kok, Sham Shui Po and Kowloon City police districts, have been afflicted with the illness, authorities say.
A total of 23 cases have been confirmed amongst officers working in the region since Monday, Apple Daily reports. A whopping 15 cases at Sham Shui Po station were reported yesterday, after which the station was immediately disinfected.
All confirmed cases have been reported to the Centre for Health Protection, and the centre is liaising with police on methods of preventing further infections.
Hand, foot, and mouth disease is mainly spread through touching contaminated objects or coming into contact with infected people’s nose or throat discharge, saliva, vesicles (a.k.a. small fluid-filled sacs or cysts), or poo.
Gives a new meaning to the phrase “dirty cops”, doesn’t it?
Symptoms include fever, a general feeling of unwellness (not to be confused with existential malaise), and lesions around the hands, feet, mouth, and occasionally bum and groin.
While it’s most contagious during the first week of infection, the viruses can be found in patients’ stool for weeks.
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