Kris Aquino and sons diagnosed with hand-foot-and-mouth disease

Kris Aquino and her two sons Joshua, 15, and Baby James, 3, have been diagnosed with hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD), a viral illness with symptoms of high fever, mouth sores, and rashes on the hands and feet.

The 39-year-old TV host and actress broke the news through her official Twitter account (@itsmekrisaquino) on Thursday afternoon, October 7. She said she and her sons have been placed in isolation for one week, while they are under medication to treat the virus.

She sent her first tweet around 2 p.m.: "We r all sick. Josh caught foot & mouth disease. Nahawa Bimby & me. I don't have the sores around the mouth or the rashes sa hands & feet but my fever went up to 40 last night. We r all taking Zoverax & Immunosin. Ang tibay the 3 yayas, Yaya A, Gerbel & Ruby. Di sila nahawa. Rare daw for an adult to get hawa but u know me–lapitin ng sakit. Naka isolate kami for at least 1 week."

The second tweet: "Bimby & I r in 1 room since we still both have fever–kuya's in his room because he's pagaling na. If we have contact w/ him baka mabinat sya. Last night grabe–they iced na my feet & head because fever was 40. We're not allowed to leave our condo til next weekend."

On her last tweet, she asked the public for prayers. The third tweet said: "Thank God my 2 sons r able to eat even just a bit. Me, lantang gulay. Now nag chi-chills again. Fever nasa 38.8. At night diba tumataas again? Sleep na ko. Pray for my kids to be healthy soon, please?"

WHAT IS HFMD? According to the website of Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP), a government agency in the U. S. that provides medical information to the public, the hand-foot-and-mouth disease is a common and contagious viral disease that often infects infants and young children.

The CDCP said HFMD is a minor illness that causes only a few days of fever, sore throat, lesions in the mouth, rashes, and loss of appetite.

HFMD is not related to the foot-and-mouth disease that commonly infects farm animals.

The illness, caused by the coxsackievirus, can be spread by nose and throat secretions, saliva, blister fluid, and stool of infected persons. The virus is most often spread by persons with unwashed, virus-contaminated hands and by contact with virus-contaminated surfaces, the CDCP added.

The Center states that there is no specific treatment for HFMD. To prevent infection, individuals are advised to practice good hygiene, such as frequent hand-washing, cleaning of dirty and soiled surfaces, and avoiding contact with people infected with HFMD.