Virus Outbreak on Holmdel Football Team, All Games Canceled This Weekend

Holmdel, NJ - All three scheduled Red Bank-Holmdel football games for this weekend have been canceled, Red Bank Regional High School's principal Risa Clay announced, due to a contagious virus outbreak on the Holmdel High School football team.

The virus is hand, foot and mouth disease, which has affected several members of the Holmdel football team, Holmdel Superintendent of Schools Robert McGarry said. Hand, foot and mouth disease, also known as the coxsackie virus, causes painful sores in the mouth, on the hands, feet and sometimes the buttocks and legs. It's very contagious and can be spread through coughing or sneezing. Hand, foot and mouth disease usually appears in children and toddlers, but can affect adults, and most commonly appears in the fall. It often spreads in close-knit communities, such as dorms or athletic teams. It's going around: There are current hand, foot and mouth outbreaks on the University of Colorado-Boulder campus and in elementary schools in Norwalk, Ohio.

As many as four players on the Holmdel football contracted the virus, McGarry said.

"All locker rooms, trainer's room, weight room, and equipment will continue to be disinfected and cleaned on a daily basis until we confirm that the threat of additional cases has passed," he said in a letter sent home to parents.

"It was initially discovered Monday and then (Wednesday morning) we had two more students come down with it. We then made the decision to shut the program down," he told the Asbury Park Press. The Holmdel High School physician recommended temporarily shutting down the football program, because the virus is extremely contagious and they don't want it to spread to other schools and players.

Holmdel is the first Shore Conference school to have contacted hand, foot and mouth disease. McGarry said he hopes the virus clears up before next week's scheduled games with cross-town rival Saint John Vianney.

Stock image of Holmdel football, NOT a player with the virus.