Caused by a strain of the coxsackievirus, hand, foot and mouth disease is best known for the blister-like rash it causes on the hands, feet and mouth. However, this rash can appear all over the body.
The first symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease that show up include fever, lack of appetite, sore throat and a runny nose. A day or two later, a blister-like rash appears on the hands, feet or mouth. Hand, foot and mouth disease spreads through direct contact with these blisters, as well as the droplets expelled when you sneeze or cough.
You are most contagious during the first few days of being sick, often before the blisters appear. Once these blisters dry up, you are less likely to pass on the virus. Hand, foot and mouth disease is very common and usually affects infants and children under the age of 5. Because multiple viruses can cause hand, foot and mouth disease, it is possible to catch the virus multiple times.
Hand, foot and mouth disease has nothing to do with foot-and-mouth disease, which affects cattle, sheep and swine. A person is contagious when the first symptoms appear and may continue until the blister-like skin lesions disappear. The virus has been known to be shed in the stool for up to several weeks.
The diagnosis is generally suspected on the appearance of blister-like rash on hands and feet and mouth in a child with a mild febrile illness. Although specific viral tests are available to confirm the diagnosis, they are rarely performed due to expense and length of time needed to complete the tests.
Specific immunity can occur, but a second episode is possible from a different strain of Coxsackie virus. There is no specific treatment. Treatment is aimed at fever control and maintaining good oral hydration. The illness is typically mild, complications are rare. More serious infections have been seen recently with a certain strain of Coxsackie viral infection in Indonesia.
Children who feel ill or have a fever should be excluded from group settings until the fever is gone and the child feels well. Thorough hand washing and care with diaper changing practices is important as well. When an outbreak affects a community, risk for coxsackievirus infection is highest among infants and kids younger than 5. The virus spreads easily in group settings like schools, childcare centers, and summer camps.
People are most contagious the first week they're sick. In cooler climates, outbreaks most often happen in the summer and fall, but tropical parts of the world have them year-round in.
Depending on the type of infection and symptoms, the doctor may prescribe medicines to make your child feel more comfortable. Because antibiotics only work against bacteria, they can't be used to fight a coxsackievirus infection. You can give acetaminophen or ibuprofen to relieve minor aches and pains. If the fever lasts for more than 24 hours or if your child has any symptoms of a more serious coxsackievirus infection, call your doctor. Most kids with a simple coxsackievirus infection recover completely after a few days without needing any medical treatment.
A child who has a fever without any other symptoms should rest in bed or play quietly indoors. Offer plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. How long the infection lasts can vary. Kids who only have a fever may see their temperature return to normal within 24 hours, although the average fever lasts 3 days. Hand, foot, and mouth disease usually lasts for 2 or 3 days; viral meningitis can take 3 to 7 days to clear up. There is no vaccine to prevent coxsackievirus infection.
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