Prevention of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease

Written by Li Jiao Yan
Neonatology
Updated on September 15, 2024
00:00
00:00

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a common contagious exanthematous disease in pediatrics, caused by a viral infection with a certain epidemic nature. Its main modes of transmission include respiratory, digestive tracts, and close contact. During the epidemic, usually in the summer and autumn seasons, it is recommended that parents avoid taking children to public places. If a suspected case is found, timely isolation should be carried out, and close contacts should be quarantined for 7-10 days. Additionally, it's important to maintain good personal hygiene, such as washing hands before eating and after using the toilet, and to keep indoor ventilation in the home. If a child has been in contact with an infection or a suspected case of hand, foot, and mouth disease, it is crucial to monitor the child for any discomfort and check their temperature regularly. If the child feels unwell, take them to the hospital for treatment promptly.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yan Xin Liang
Pediatrics
41sec home-news-image

Is hand, foot, and mouth disease contagious?

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a contagious disease caused by an infection of enteroviruses. There are more than 20 types of enteroviruses that cause the disease, with Coxsackievirus A16 and Enterovirus 71 being the most common. The main clinical manifestations of this disease include blisters on the hands, feet, mouth, and buttocks. Some patients may experience fever, while others may have no fever or only a mild fever. The disease is contagious and primarily transmitted through contact. For example, it can be spread through saliva, droplets, hand-to-mouth contact, and contact with the secretions from the blisters, among other methods.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yan Xin Liang
Pediatrics
46sec home-news-image

How to prevent hand, foot, and mouth disease?

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is an infectious disease caused by enteroviruses, with over 20 types, commonly Coxsackievirus A16 and Enterovirus 71. These viruses are mainly transmitted through respiratory and digestive tracts, such as through droplets, hand-mouth contact, and lack of hygiene, leading to infection. To prevent this disease, first, avoid contact with individuals infected with hand, foot, and mouth disease. Second, ensure good ventilation in rooms and avoid crowded places. Additionally, it's best to clean and disinfect utensils and daily necessities. During the epidemic period, try to minimize visits to public places.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yao Li Qin
Pediatrics
1min 6sec home-news-image

Is hand, foot, and mouth disease serious?

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a contagious viral infection primarily characterized by scattered vesicular or papular rashes on the hands, feet, mouth, and buttocks. It is generally a mild condition, and typical symptoms include fever and rash. It can be treated with oral medications and by taking care of oral and skin hygiene, usually healing quickly. Severe cases caused by the EV71 virus can lead to varying degrees of intracranial pressure. In such serious cases, prompt treatment with mannitol and furosemide to reduce intracranial pressure is necessary; corticosteroids may also be needed if required. For children with severe hypoxia, timely correction of oxygen deficiency is crucial, along with intravenous fluids to maintain stable blood pressure, respiration, heart rate, and microcirculation. (Please consult a professional physician for medication guidance and do not self-medicate.)

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yan Xin Liang
Pediatrics
44sec home-news-image

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is spread through:

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is an infectious disease caused by enteroviruses. There are more than 20 types of enteroviruses that can cause the disease, among which Coxsackievirus A16 and Enterovirus 71 are the most common. It frequently occurs in children under the age of 5 and manifests as mouth pain, loss of appetite, low fever, and small blisters or ulcers on the hands, feet, and mouth. Most affected children can recover within about a week. The main routes of transmission for hand, foot, and mouth disease can include the gastrointestinal tract, as well as respiratory transmission, and close contact such as through saliva, cough droplets, etc. Sharing utensils can also spread the disease.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yan Xin Liang
Pediatrics
1min home-news-image

Late-stage symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is an acute infectious disease caused by enterovirus infection. Generally, there are more than twenty types of enteroviruses that cause hand, foot, and mouth disease, but the most common are Coxsackie virus A16 and enterovirus 71. The initial symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease are blisters in the hands, feet, and mouth; some cases include fever, while others do not. In later stages, the disease may exhibit recurring fevers, and the blisters on the mouth, hands, feet, and buttocks may burst and crust over. After crusting, the blisters gradually heal, but in some cases, the disease can progress to severe cases. For instance, complications such as encephalitis, brainstem encephalitis, myocarditis can occur, and some cases may develop neurogenic pulmonary edema, pulmonary hemorrhage, and circulatory failure, among others. However, such severe cases are generally rare.