With kids back in school, germs are bound to spread. Recently, that germ has been the Coxsackie virus.

It's also known as hand, foot and mouth disease, which lives in the human digestive tract.

“It can be spread by air droplets, by sneezing and coughing. And the virus can live on surfaces for several days," said Ellen Brignola, a family nurse practitioner with St. Peter's Health. 

She says it's a non-life threatening virus that usually affects young children. But teens and adults can also come in contact with it. 

“They’ll see little blisters in their mouth and hands and their feet," Brignola said. "And they may or may not have a fever and it’s usually self-limiting that may last for like two or three days.” 

Several school districts in the Capital Region have dealt with the virus, including Gloversville, Cohoes and Amsterdam. Both Gloversville and Amsterdam were forced to postpone football games.

Brignola says the best way to avoid the virus is good hand-washing. 

“Before meals, after changing a baby’s diaper and cleaning off the surfaces of baby’s toys, in daycares, in classrooms,” Brignola said.