Hand, foot and mouth disease is a common viral illness among children. Adults can also get sick. The disease is usually mild and most cases do not require hospitalisation. Rarely, more severe forms of the disease may occur.
Hand, foot and mouth disease is caused by enteroviruses. While most of these viruses cause mild forms of the disease, more severe forms with neurological complications can also occur.
The incubation period, or the time from infection to onset of disease, is usually four to six days. Virus shedding begins before the onset of symptoms and continues for several weeks after recovery. The usual signs and symptoms of this highly contagious disease are fever, sore throat and skin rash. The rash usually appears on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet and buttocks. Painful blisters are found in the oral cavity, especially on the tongue and soft palate. The fever lasts for four to five days. The fever, rash and ulcers usually disappear spontaneously within a week. Complications are rare.
Infection is transmitted mainly directly through saliva, nasal secretions, faeces or indirectly through infected objects and surfaces. A person may continue to shed the virus in the faeces for several weeks after infection, and infection may also continue without any signs of disease.
Individuals who recover from HFMD develop immunity to the virus that caused their infection. However, because HFMD can be caused by several different viruses, people can become ill again if they become infected with one of the other viruses.
The disease occurs mainly in summer and autumn. Enteroviruses are widespread throughout the world, with varying incidence and prevalence in different parts of the world. In the last decade, there have been a number of outbreaks, mainly in the Western Pacific (Japan, Malaysia, Singapore).
There is little information on the occurrence of enterovirus infections in Europe.
In most cases, laboratory diagnosis is not necessary.
Treatment is symptomatic, with medications to relieve sore throat and reduce fever. Antibiotics are not a treatment for viral infections.
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