The school is the latest among nearly a dozen across New Jersey to report outbreaks of the disease, a type of Coxsackievirus.
HIGHTSTOWN -- Eight Hightstown High School students - including six members of the football team - contracted hand-foot-and-mouth disease, the school said in a letter sent home to parents early this week.
The school is the latest among nearly a dozen across New Jersey to report outbreaks of the disease, a type of Coxsackievirus.
A sports trainer called the New Jersey outbreaks this month "unprecedented."
On Thursday, Holmdel High, Mendham High and North Warren High were the latest schools to report cases among athletes, prompting all three schools to postpone their varsity football games tonight.
In Hightstown, all high school classrooms, locker rooms, bathrooms and cafeterias were being sanitized, as well as school buses used by the district, the East Windsor Regional Schools.
Due to the concentration on the football team, Hightstown High School canceled all related activities on Monday, according to the Sept. 26 letter written by David Roe, director of student services for the district.
What you need to know about hand-foot-and-mouth disease
School officials could not immediately be reached for comment late Friday.
The Hightstown varsity football team plays Burlington Township High School Friday night.
The school's letter said the district would continue to consult with the Mercer County Health Department on the matter.
A Mercer County spokeswoman, though, said the county's health department officials say they haven't been contacted recently about any hand-foot-and-mouth disease cases.
The disease causes painful sores inside the mouth as well as a skin rash on a person's hands or feet. The virus can be spread through contact or the air from coughing or sneezing, and it's most commonly diagnosed in younger children.
Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
