Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is a viral infection commonly found in children that is very easily spread. The culprit in this disease is the Coxsackie virus. The transmissible nature of this disease is due to person to person contact with the unwashed hands of an individual with the virus and contaminated surfaces.

This disease usually arises in the summer or early fall in the northern hemisphere. The signs of this disease include a child with fever, rashes, and mouth sores – however, all three do not have to be present!

Some indications that your child may have hand-foot-and-mouth disease include:
- Decreased appetite for solids
- Fever and/or sore throat
- Mouth sores in and around the mouth – the sores may appear on the mucous membranes, gums, or tongue
- Non-itchy spotted skin rashes on the palms of hands, soles of the feet and/or on the buttocks

The disease is much more severe in infants and children than in adults and usually the disease has a mild course. Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is a condition that may be confused with chickenpox because they both have blisters; however, the rashes in this disease are not itchy unlike chickenpox. The virus that causes hand-foot-and-mouth disease is found in both respiratory secretions and stool. Therefore the virus may be spread via fecal-oral transmission, airborne droplet transmission, direct contact with an infected person, and contact with contaminated surfaces. The virus may be present in the patient’s stool for over 1 month and to reduce the incidence of the virus spreading, do not rupture the raised lesions.

The best way to reduce the transmission of this disease is to practice a good hand washing routine especially after diapering children and before eating.

Since this disease is caused by a virus, antibiotics will be ineffective in treating it! In most instances, medical care is not necessary. The most important factors to treat would be the fever and sore throat. Tylenol is a good fever reducer and popsicles and cold liquids are soothing to the sore throat. Ensure that the affected individual is adequately hydrated during the course of the disease.

Central Florida Foot & Ankle Center, LLC
101 6th Street N.W.
Winter Haven, FL 33881
Phone: 863-299-4551
http://www.FLFootandAnkle.com