Some would say politicians have suffered from it for years.
Now, the ailment is being transmitted in day-care centers and schools throughout the nation - including some in Utah.It's hand, foot and mouth disease.
While the contagious disease is not usually dangerous, health officials say it can make children sick and uncomfortable for several days. And there is no treatment.
But because it's characterized by herpes-type sores in the mouth and blisters on the hands and feet - lesions that can persist for seven to 10 days - it has caused concern among day-care operators and especially parents.
Ed Tierney, coordinator of the Utah Department of Health's communicable disease program, said hand, foot and mouth disease is usually a self-limited illness.
It can, however, be more dangerous in newborns or in a fetus exposed to it in the womb. And, it is assumed that coxsackie virus responsible for the infection can cause meningitis in rare instances.
Young children with hand, foot and mouth disease can also become dehydrated when the stinging sores in their mouths make them refuse liquids, so parents should be sure that infected children are getting enough fluids.
But most often, it's not a serious threat to youngsters.
"Obviously if they have a high fever and are appearing grossly ill, they should be kept home from school," Tierney said. "But for the most part, it's not extremely harmful."
The Health Department recommends that children suffering from the disease not be sent home unless they are ill. Then they should be seen by a pediatrician as soon as possible.
The illness is caused by a strain of coxsackie virus, one of about 65 so-called enteroviruses that are a common source of infection.
Tierney said it is transmitted by nasal and throat secretions and poor hygiene. Transmission can be reduced if children practice good hygiene measures and school employees clean surfaces that may be contaminated by nasal or throat discharges.
The best method of preventing the spread of coxsackie virus infections is frequent hand washing.
Health officials said infectious agents like coxsackie virus tend to become more common every two to five years. A child who has had hand, foot and mouth disease is immune from future infection by the strain of virus that caused it but may get the disease again from a different strain of virus.
Tierney said precise estimates of the prevalence of the disease are not available because doctors are not required to report it to the Department of Health.
"But each year at this time we get reports of sporadic cases," he said. Five Utah day-care centers have reported cases of hand, foot and mouth disease during the past month.