Description
This illness is generally a mild
viral illness caused by viruses called coxsakievirus or enterovirus and is not
related to the animal disease called Foot and Mouth Disease. It occurs
worldwide, mainly in children under 10 years of age but can also occur in older
children and adults and is most common in the summer and autumn
months.
Symptoms
This illness may cause no symptoms
or only very mild symptoms. Those symptoms that commonly occur are blisters that
start as small red dots and later become ulcers. These blisters usually occur
inside the cheek, gums or on the side of the tongue. Infants may develop some
blisters in the nappy area.
Children with this illness may have
a low grade fever, sore throat, tiredness, feel off colour and not eat for a day
or two.
Very rarely, these viruses,
particularly coxsackievirus can cause other illnesses affecting the heart, brain
(or lining of the brain), lungs or eyes.
Incubation
period
Between 3 and 7
days.
Infectious
period
The virus may remain in the faeces
for several weeks and whilst there is fluid in the blisters, they remain
infectious.
Hand Foot and Mouth Disease
and Pregnancy
There is no clear evidence to
suggest that this illness causes adverse outcomes of pregnancy if the mother
develops the illness during pregnancy.
However, babies born to mothers who
have symptoms of the illness around the time of delivery are more likely to
become infected. Most newborns infected develop mild symptoms but the risk of
severe illness is higher during the first two weeks of
life.
Controlling the spread of
Infection
Hand, foot and mouth disease is
usually spread by person-to-person contact from the faeces of an infected person
to the mouth of the next person by contaminated hands. It may also be spread
from the mouth or respiratory system and by direct contact with the fluid in the
blisters.
There is usually no treatment
necessary.
Good hygiene practices are the most
effective way of controlling the spread of this infection:
Wash hands with soap and water after
going to the toilet, before eating, after wiping noses and after changing
nappies or soiled clothing
Avoid sharing cups, eating utensils
or items of personal hygiene
Thoroughly wash any soiled
clothing
Cover the mouth and nose when
coughing or sneezing
Children with this illness should be
excluded from school or child care until the blisters have
dried.
The illness should be reported to
the director of a child care centre or the school
principal.
Adapted
from:
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention: Hand Foot & Mouth Disease. www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/revb/enterovirus/hfhf.htm
Staying Healthy in Child Care 3rd
Edition. December 2003. http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/publications/synopses/ch40syn.htm