Health officials are reassuring parents that the coxsackie virus which had been found in local nurseries is not a threatening disease.

In fact the virus, which causes hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is not even 'notifiable', said senior medical officer Dr. Brenda Davidson. That means that doctors are not obliged to report the disease to Government should they come across it.

Three children have now caught the contagious virus at the Kiddie Academy nursery in the City of Hamilton. The nursery has a total of 75 children.

Though its name is similar to the foot and mouth disease which affects livestock, HFMD is a completely different disease and caused by completely different viruses. It is spread primarily through the faeces of an infected person to the mouth of the next person, however like the common cold it can also be spread through coughing and sneezing, person-to-person contact and toys.

The virus causes a rash on the mouth, inner cheeks, gums, sides of the tongue and as bumps or blisters on hands and feet. The Centre for Disease Control in the US states it is a common virus among young children, and is completely unrelated to foot-and-mouth disease. It is not serious.

The Health Department has sent an environmental health officer to the nursery and standards of hygiene there are fine, said Dr. Davidson. "It's something we do expect," she said. "It's annoying rather than serious."