As seasons come and go, so to do outbreaks of certain illnesses. And at one time or another you will likely deal with one virus that's currently in the middle of a typical outbreak, hand, foot and mouth disease.

Vice-President of Medical Services for Southern Health-Santé Sud, Doctor Denis Fortier says most of the people that get hand, foot and mouth disease are children under the age of 7 however, adults are not immune.

Symptoms include sore throat and sore mouth, and rash or red spots on the palms or feet. Fortier says sores that can resemble chicken pox can appear in the mouth and throat, which is why children often complain of pain. Generally, he says the virus is fairly mild, but in very rare cases more severe side-effects can happen.

There is no vaccine available for hand, foot and mouth disease, and because it's a virus it can not be treated with antibiotics, therefore must run its course.

Fortier adds the virus that causes hand, foot and mouth disease tends to be transmitted from fecal-oral route. "Which means someone goes to the bathroom, they didn't wash their hands, they touch somebody else, that person puts their hand to their mouth, and the virus transmits that way." The virus is also airborne, and can be passed along though saliva droplets when someone coughs.

Fortier says hand, foot and mouth is very "catchy," and therefore it's very important to teach young children best hand washing practices, and teach them to cough and sneeze into their sleeve.

"It's not super common, but we do see outbreaks of it pretty much every year, and we're sort of in the season of an outbreak," said Fortier. "But with day care, and children going to day care and stuff, we tend to sometimes see it all year round." Fortier says however, cases seem to spike more in the summer and fall.

Around 30 years ago Fortier would have seen more cases of chicken pox than hand, foot and mouth disease in the ER. He says with there being a vaccine available for chicken pox, that has has reversed, and he's now seeing more cases of hand, foot and mouth disease.