Hand, foot and mouth disease forced West Virginia to postpone its fan appreciation day, originally scheduled for Sunday, after five of its players contracted the illness.

The university didn’t reveal which players contracted the highly contagious viral infection, which causes sores in the mouth and rashes on the hands and feet.

"I know fans who were planning on attending Fan Day will be disappointed, but this is in the best interest of all involved," West Virginia athletic director Shane Lyons said in a statement . "Our medical staff is doing an excellent job of addressing the matter. However, there is no reason to put the general public at risk."

The university statement said the program will attempt to reschedule the event.