Causes of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease

Written by Yao Li Qin

Pediatrics

Updated on December 12, 2024

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Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a rash illness characterized by scattered papules and vesicles on the hands, feet, mouth, and buttocks, caused by an enterovirus infection. It is a contagious disease caused by a viral infection, specifically by Coxsackievirus A16 and Enterovirus 71, which are part of the enterovirus group. Other Coxsackie enteroviruses can also cause hand, foot, and mouth disease. Common enterovirus infections can also lead to hand, foot, and mouth disease. This means that children who have had hand, foot, and mouth disease can potentially get it again, and this is important knowledge for everyone to understand.

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Written by Yan Xin Liang

Pediatrics

56sec

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Symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a disease caused by enterovirus that results in sores on the hands, feet, mouth, and buttocks, accompanied by symptoms such as fever. It is generally caused by Enterovirus 71 or Coxsackievirus A16. Most cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease are typical and may involve fever, low fever, or no fever at all. However, common symptoms include sores in the mouth and on the pharynx, as well as on the hands, feet, and buttocks. The general course of the disease lasts five to seven days, but severe cases may last longer. Severe cases may present with symptoms such as listlessness, irritability, vomiting, and trembling limbs. More serious conditions can include microcirculatory disorders, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, neurogenic edema, and bleeding, among others.

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Written by Yan Xin Liang

Pediatrics

1min 4sec

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Is hand, foot and mouth disease itchy?

Hand, foot and mouth disease is an infectious disease caused by enteroviruses. There are more than 20 types of enteroviruses that cause hand, foot and mouth disease, among which Coxsackievirus A16 and Enterovirus 71 are the most common. Its main clinical symptoms include mouth pain, decreased appetite, mild fever, and the appearance of small vesicles or small ulcers on the hands, feet, mouth, and other areas. Most infected children can recover in about a week. The rash of hand, foot and mouth disease typically appears on the hands, feet, buttocks, arms, and legs as maculopapular rash, which can later turn into vesicles. These vesicles are surrounded by an inflammatory red halo and contain relatively little fluid. The rash is not itchy. Thus, the rash of hand, foot and mouth disease is unlike other allergic rashes; it does not cause itching or discomfort.

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Written by Yan Xin Liang

Pediatrics

1min

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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.

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Written by Yao Li Qin

Pediatrics

1min 7sec

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Hand, foot and mouth disease characteristics

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is an infectious disease caused by enterovirus, primarily characterized by scattered maculopapular or vesicular rashes on the hands, feet, mouth, and buttocks. These rashes are quite distinctive; initially, there is a fever, followed by rashes on hands and feet. These are commonly found between the fingers, starting as maculopapular rashes and gradually turning into vesicular rashes. The rashes, measuring three to seven millimeters, have a firm base with slightly thickened skin over the blisters and are surrounded by erythema. They occur mainly on the extremities but can sometimes spread to the arms, legs, buttocks, or perineal area. The distribution of the rash is centrifugal, ranging from a few to dozens in number. Generally, the rashes absorb on their own within two to three days without scaling, scarring, or pigmentation, and oral blisters or ulcers usually heal within a week.

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Written by Yao Li Qin

Pediatrics

1min 25sec

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Initial symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a common pediatric exanthematous disease caused by an enterovirus infection, primarily manifesting on the hands, feet, mouth, and buttocks with scattered vesicular and pustular rashes. The incubation period for hand, foot, and mouth disease generally ranges from three to five days. The initial stage of the illness may include fever and sore mouth, or discomfort in the throat, leading to reluctance in children to eat. Accompanying symptoms might include mild coughing, runny nose, and throat discomfort. During a physical examination, a doctor may observe scattered small vesicles in the mouth mucosa, or shallow ulcers that have already erupted. These are mainly found on the lingual and buccal mucosa, as well as the mucosa on the inner side of the lips and upper palate. Subsequently, rashes appear on the hands and feet, generally starting as maculopapular rashes that slowly turn into vesicular rashes. These rashes are distributed eccentrically and typically resolve on their own within two to three days without scaling, scarring, or pigmentation. The oral vesicles usually heal on their own within a week. Some children with milder cases may only exhibit rashes or vesicular pharyngitis.