With some reports surfacing of hand, foot and mouth disease, it is critical for parents to be on the look out and also avoid the spread should their child contract it.
Because it is highly contagious and can tear through playrooms, day care centers, preschool and elementary classrooms, it is important to know how to prevent the spread.
Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a type of viral infection, explains Sarah Kohl, MD, a clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and founder and president of TravelReadyMD.
The funny-sounding name is derived from the telltale rash that generally appears on the hands, feet and mouth (as well as blisters surfacing in the mouth) of those infected. The virus can manifest with a high fever that may spike before the outbreak of the rash.
The usual period from initial infection to the time symptoms appear (incubation period) is 3 to 6 days. Children may get a fever and develop a sore throat. They sometimes lose their appetites and don’t feel well.
One or two days after the fever begins, painful sores may develop in the front of the mouth or throat. A rash on the hands and feet and sometimes on the buttocks may also appear.
Sores that develop in the back of the mouth and throat may suggest a related viral illness called herpangina.
Other features of herpangina include a sudden high fever and, in some instances, seizure. In rare cases, sores develop on the hands, feet or other parts of the body.
Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is usually a minor illness.
It typically only causes fever and mild symptoms for a few days. Call your health care provider if the child is younger than six months, has a weakened immune system, or has mouth sores or a sore throat that makes it painful to drink fluids.
Children are usually considered contagious until the lesions resolve, which may take five to seven days out of day care, preschool or school.
The virus can linger on surfaces for up to two weeks, so it is important to sanitize all surfaces, toys and other things that the child may have come in contact with.
Additionally, hand washing and good hygiene are critical to avoid contracting the virus.