Hand Foot and Mouth Disease Specialists in Karnataka

What is Hand Foot and Mouth Disease?

Hand foot and mouth disease is a common, highly contagious viral illness that predominantly affects infants and young children, caused most often by coxsackievirus, and characterized by fever along with a distinctive rash of small blisters or sores on the hands, feet, and inside the mouth. It spreads easily through close contact, respiratory droplets, and contact with contaminated surfaces, often causing outbreaks in daycare and school settings. While generally a mild, self-limited illness that resolves within seven to ten days, the painful mouth sores can make eating and drinking uncomfortable, occasionally leading to dehydration in young children.

Causes of Hand Foot and Mouth Disease

Caused most commonly by coxsackievirus A16 and enterovirus 71, which spread through direct contact with respiratory secretions, saliva, blister fluid, or stool of an infected person, as well as contact with contaminated surfaces and objects. It is highly contagious, particularly in the first week of illness, and 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.

Symptoms of Hand Foot and Mouth Disease

Fever, sore throat, painful red blisters or ulcers inside the mouth, a rash of small blisters on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet, irritability in infants, loss of appetite due to mouth pain, general malaise, occasionally blisters on the buttocks or knees

Treatment & Types of Hand Foot and Mouth Disease in Karnataka

There is no specific antiviral treatment, so management focuses on supportive care including adequate fluid intake to prevent dehydration, pain relief with acetaminophen or ibuprofen, and soothing measures for mouth discomfort such as cold foods or oral rinses. Most cases resolve on their own within a week to ten days without complications. Close monitoring for signs of dehydration or, rarely, more serious neurological complications is recommended, with prompt medical attention if these develop.

Hand foot and mouth disease is most often caused by coxsackievirus A16, producing the typical mild illness, while infection with enterovirus 71 is less common but more strongly associated with rare, severe neurological complications, making the specific viral cause relevant to how closely a case may need to be monitored.

Pediatrics Specialists in Karnataka (1)

Frequently Asked Questions