Hand Foot and Mouth Disease

🔬Causes & Risk Factors

• 1Caused most commonly by coxsackievirus A16 and enterovirus 71
• 2which spread through direct contact with respiratory secretions
• 3saliva
• 4blister fluid
• 5or stool of an infected person
• 6as well as contact with contaminated surfaces and objects. It is highly contagious
• 7particularly in the first week of illness
• 8and spreads readily in settings with close contact among young children such as daycares and schools. Children under 5 are most commonly affected due to limited prior immunity.