Viral Infection Hits 15 Childcare Centres in Far North Queensland

Viral Infection Hits 15 Childcare Centres in Far North Queensland
A view of Cairns Base Hospital on Dec. 20, 2014. Peter Parks/AFP via Getty Images
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An Australian city in the far north of the state of Queensland is dealing with a significant spike in cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease, affecting 15 childcare centres, with tests being carried out urgently to determine the cause.

Cairns and the nearby Tablelands region have been hit hard, with 60 infected people presenting at Cairns Hospital’s emergency department since the start of the year.