Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a common viral illness that usually affects infants and children younger than 5 years old. It can, however, sometimes occur in teenagers and adults. Typical symptoms of foot and mouth disease include fever, mouth sores, and a skin rash.
Transmission:
The pathogens that cause hand, foot, and mouth disease can be transmitted from person-to-person via contact with an infected person’s bodily fluids. Primarily, an infected person’s saliva or mucus, blister, and feces.
An infected person may spread the viruses that cause hand, foot, and mouth disease to another person through close personal contact, i.e. through the air or contact with contaminated objects and surfaces.
Symptoms:
The symptoms for foot, hand, and mouth disease typically start with a fever and a general feeling of malaise. Symptoms develop from there to include:
- fever
- Reduced appetite
- Skin rash with blisters
- Blistering on hands, feet, and parts of the abdomen
