Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is caused by a number of enteroviruses in the family Picornaviridae. One such virus is enterovirus 71. HFMD is not to be confused with foot-and-mouth disease, which is a disease affecting sheep, cattle and swine, and which is unrelated to HFMD (but also caused by a member of the Picornaviridae family).

HFMD usually affects infants and children, and is quite common. It is moderately contagious and is spread through direct contact with the mucus or feces of an infected person. It typically occurs in small epidemics in nursery schools or kindergartens, usually during the summer months.

Symptoms

Symptoms of HFMD include:

• fever
• rash in the mouth
• sores with blisters on palms of hands and soles of feet
• mouth ulcers
• sores or blisters may be present on the buttocks of small children and infants

Not all symptoms may be present.

Treatment

There is no specific treatment for HFMD. Individual symptoms, such as fever and pain from the sores, may be eased with the use of medication. HFMD is a viral disease that has to run its course; many doctors do not issue medicine for this illness, unless the infection is severe. It is usually in the affected child's best interest to be kept home until the infection clears. Fever reducers will help to control high temperatures. Cool baths will also help bring temperature down.

Only a very small minority require hospital admission, mainly as a result of neurological complications (encephalitis, meningitis or acute flaccid paralysis) or pulmonary edema/pulmonary hemorrhage.

Recorded outbreaks

In 1998, there was an outbreak in Taiwan, affecting mainly childrenCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Deaths among children during an outbreak of hand, foot, and mouth disease--Taiwan, Republic of China, April-July 1998. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 1998;47:629-32. PMID 9704628.. There were 405 severe complications, and 78 children diedHo M, Chen ER, Hsu KH, Twu SJ, Chen KT, Tsai SF, Wang JR, Shih SR. An epidemic of enterovirus 71 infection in Taiwan. Taiwan Enterovirus Epidemic Working Group. N Engl J Med 1999;341:929-35. PMID 10498487.. The total number of cases in that epidemic is estimated to have been 1.5 million.

In 2006, 7 people died in what seems to be a new outbreak in Kuching, Sarawak (according to the New Straits Times, 14th of March).

Reference