Foot-Hand-Mouth Disease is a benign infectious disease caused by the Coxsackie virus and is characterized by many symptoms such as fever, diarrhea, vomiting, pimples and blisters around the mouth and formation of small vesicles on the hands and feet. This infection develops especially in infants or babies and is highly contagious.
Hand-to-mouth syndrome is a benign, non-dangerous but highly contagious infection caused by enterotoxin Coxsackie A16. It affects mostly young children, but can occur at any age and hatching is more common during summer and fall.
Hand-foot-mouth disease is spread by contact with saliva, secretions of the nose or stool of an infected person. The microbes can be deposited on objects or on the hands of a person and infect it. Treatment is based on symptomatic treatment only.
Typical symptoms of the syndrome
The incubation period of the infection is of the order of 3 to 7 days. Symptoms such as fever, sore throat, painful oral lesions that can cause dehydration, red rashes and painful blisters on the hands, feet and around the mouth and fatigue forget some irritability in the youngest children. The rashes usually first appear as red spots before starting to blister.
Transmission and contagion of infection
The virus is most often transmitted by direct contact via body fluids and also by already contaminated objects such as toys, towels or any other object or surfaces likely to be contaminated, especially in places such as nurseries , daycares or schools.
The infection is particularly contagious during the first week, but the contagion period can last for several weeks, as long as the virus is present in the stool.
Treatment of infection
The infection and accompanying symptoms will go away on their own and there is no existing medication or preventive vaccine available. Treatment is based solely on symptomatic care. It is of course advisable, in order to limit the risks of contagion, to keep one's children at home until the complete disappearance of the symptoms and to remain vigilant when a possible epidemic declares in nursery or in school.
Prevention
To limit the risk of contamination and spread of infection, some precautions, including hygiene are to be taken. Hands should be meticulously washed especially after a washroom or care and cleaning of the sick child.
Regular and rigorous cleaning of surfaces, changing tables, toys and objects within the reach of sick children is also essential. If children are old enough, it is necessary to teach them the basic rules of hygiene to be practiced daily.
The most common complication of hand-foot-and-mouth disease is dehydration. It can affect children who refuse to drink because of the pain in their mouths caused by oral lesions. It is therefore essential to ensure that the sick child drinks enough water to be properly hydrated.
