More Than A Dozen Sickened In Hand, Foot And Mouth Disease Outbreak At Summer School Program

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MOUNT OLIVER (KDKA) -- A summer school program for Pittsburgh Public Schools was disrupted by an outbreak of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease.

Several staff members and students were infected, and the school building has now been disinfected.

Classes resumed Thursday at Pittsburgh Arlington PreK-8 in Mount Oliver for the school's Summer Dreamers Camp.

The district says it's confident the building is safe for students, even though many have come down with the nasty virus, which causes painful blisters and a fever.

Out of 300 staff and students, at least 10 students and six staff members were infected.

Classes were cancelled Wednesday as crews disinfected the building.

"Just because you come in contact with it doesn't necessarily mean you get it or you don't get it. It's kinda like, you come in contact with someone who has a cold or the flu. You have a chance of contracting a virus," Rae-Ann Green, the school's director of health services, said.

The Allegheny County Health Department okayed the resumption of classes on Thursday.