Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common illness in infants and children.

I. Symptoms of HFMD

Characterized by fever, mouth ulcers and herpes. Initial symptoms are low-grade fever, loss of appetite, malaise and often a sore throat. Mouth ulcers appear after 1-2 days of fever, starting as small red herpes and often turning into ulcers.

Oral herpes is common on the tongue, gums, and oral mucosa. After 1-2 days a maculopapular rash of the skin, some of which are herpes, can be seen. The rash is not itchy and is commonly found on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet, but can also be seen on the buttocks. Some patients have only a rash or mouth ulcers.

Second, the cause of HFMD

There are a variety of enteroviruses that can cause HFMD. Enteroviruses include poliovirus, coxsackievirus, and echovirus. The most common pathogen is coxsackievirus type A16, and enterovirus EV71 or other enteroviruses can also cause HFMD.

Three: Is HFMD serious

The disease is usually not serious. The most common pathogen in HFMD is coxsackievirus type A16, and the disease is usually mild. Almost all patients recover within 7-10 days with symptomatic treatment. Complications of HFMD are uncommon.

Rarely, patients infected with coxsackievirus type A16 can develop aseptic or viral meningitis, which is characterized by fever, headache, and neck stiffness or back pain, and which requires a period of hospitalization.

Another virus that causes HFMD is known as EV71. It can also cause viral meningitis, but rarely leads to more serious illnesses such as encephalitis or polio. encephalitis from EV71 can be life-threatening in severe cases, and was fatal during the 1997 outbreak of HFMD in Malaysia.

Four: HFMD is contagious

HFMD is moderately contagious. Human-to-human transmission occurs through direct contact with an infected person's nasal and pharyngeal secretions, saliva, herpes fluid, or feces. It is most contagious during the first week of illness. HFMD does not spread from person to person, animal to animal, or pet to pet. The incubation period for HFMD is usually 3 to 7 days. Fever is a common first symptom of HFMD.

V. People with the disease

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is common in children under 10 years of age, but adults can also get the disease, so it is safe to say that everyone is susceptible, but not everyone who is infected will develop the disease.

Infants, children, and adolescents are more susceptible to contracting these pathogens and thus developing disease because they are not immune like adults who can get antibodies from previous infections. After infection, they only gain immunity to that type of virus and have no cross-immunity to reinfection with other types of viruses, which means that they can get HFMD again after having HFMD by getting infected with other types of viruses.