About hand, foot and mouth disease

Hand, foot and mouth disease is a mild infection that causes mouth ulcers and blisters on the hands and feet. It’s caused by viruses from a group of viruses called entroviruses.

Because hand, foot and mouth disease can be caused by different viruses, children can get hand, foot and mouth disease more than once.

Outbreaks of hand, foot and mouth disease typically happen in summer and autumn.

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is often confused with foot-and-mouth disease of animals (also called hoof-and-mouth disease), which affects cows, sheep, and pigs.

Humans do not get the animal disease, and animals do not get the human disease.

How hand, foot and mouth disease spreads

Hand, foot and mouth disease is contagious among groups of children, especially preschoolers. It’s spread mainly through touching the fluid inside blisters. The virus is also in the poo of infected children.

A child with hand, foot and mouth disease is very infectious until the blisters are dried up. 

Symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease

The virus infects children 4-6 days before symptoms appear.

Your child might have a mild fever for a day or two before the other symptoms appear.

Small mouth ulcers usually appear first on the cheeks, gums and sides of the tongue. Your child might also complain of a sore mouth or throat, or just go off her food and refuse fluids.

Your child might also have a headache and aching muscles, mild stomach pain or nausea.

Small blisters also appear on the hands and feet, usually on the palms and soles. Tiny red spots might appear on your child’s bottom. 

The blisters and ulcers usually go away after 7-10 days.

Does your child need to see a doctor about hand, foot and mouth disease?

You should take your child to the doctor if you think he might have hand, foot and mouth disease, or you’re not sure why he has a rash.

You should also take your child to the doctor or to a hospital emergency department if she:

• is refusing fluids as well as solids
• is showing signs of dehydration – not as much wee as usual, paleness, weight loss, sunken eyes, cold hands and feet, and drowsiness
• is very sleepy or generally unwell
• has a headache, stiff neck or back pain
• has trouble walking or is dizzy.

Treatment for hand, foot and mouth disease

There’s no therapy for hand, foot and mouth disease. But most children get better quickly by themselves without any problems.

Paracetamol or ibuprofen can help ease discomfort and pain.

It’s important for your child to drink fluids to avoid dehydration. This can be hard if your child’s mouth is sore. You could try an oral rehydration solution, which you can buy from any pharmacy.

If eating hurts your child, it’s best for him to stick to soft foods for several days, and to avoid tangy foods like tomatoes, lemons, grapefruit and oranges.

Don’t try to pop the blisters. This increases the risk of getting a skin infection and spreading the virus to other children.

Prevention of hand, foot and mouth disease

Careful handwashing, especially at child care and preschool, and after changing diapers is the main measure that can help minimising the spread of the virus.

Your child shouldn’t go to child care, preschool or school until the fluid in the blisters has dried up.