Hand foot and mouth transfer to adults

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is a mild, contagious viral infection common in young children. Symptoms include sores in the mouth and a rash on the hands and feet. Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is most commonly caused by a coxsackievirus.

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Hand-foot-and-mouth disease on the hand
Hand-foot-and-mouth disease on the hand
Hand-foot-and-mouth disease on the foot
Hand-foot-and-mouth disease on the foot
When to see a doctor
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Can hand-foot-and-mouth disease be passed on to adults?
What are the symptoms of hand-foot-and-mouth disease?
Treatment
How easily does hand foot and mouth spread to adults?
Can adults give other adults hand foot and mouth?
Is hand Foot and mouth highly contagious to adults?
Can adults get hand foot and mouth from a child?

There's no specific treatment for hand-foot-and-mouth disease. Frequent hand-washing and avoiding close contact with people who have hand-foot-and-mouth disease may help lower your child's risk of infection.

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Symptoms

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease on the hand Open pop-up dialog box

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease on the hand

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease often causes a rash of painful, blister-like lesions on the palms of the hands. Rashes appear differently depending on skin tone.

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease on the foot Open pop-up dialog box

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease on the foot

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease often causes a rash of painful, blister-like lesions on the soles of the feet. Rashes appear differently depending on skin tone.

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease may cause all of the following symptoms or only some of them. They include:

Fever.
Sore throat.
Feeling sick.
Painful, blister-like lesions on the tongue, gums and inside of the cheeks.
A rash on the palms, soles and sometimes the buttocks. The rash is not itchy, but sometimes it has blisters. Depending on skin tone, the rash may appear red, white, gray, or only show as tiny bumps.
Fussiness in infants and toddlers.
Loss of appetite.

The usual period from initial infection to the time symptoms appear (incubation period) is 3 to 6 days. Children may get a fever and develop a sore throat. They sometimes lose their appetites and don't feel well.

One or two days after the fever begins, painful sores may develop in the front of the mouth or throat. A rash on the hands and feet and sometimes on the buttocks may also appear.

Sores that develop in the back of the mouth and throat may suggest a related viral illness called herpangina. Other features of herpangina include a sudden high fever and, in some instances, seizure. In rare cases, sores develop on the hands, feet or other parts of the body.

When to see a doctor

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is usually a minor illness. It typically only causes fever and mild symptoms for a few days. Call your health care provider if your child is younger than six months, has a weakened immune system, or has mouth sores or a sore throat that makes it painful to drink fluids. Call your provider, too, if your child's symptoms don't improve after 10 days.

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Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is a viral infection that commonly affects children in NZ and around the world. It is usually characterized by sore blisters and rashes in the hand, foot, and mouth of the infected person.

Can hand-foot-and-mouth disease be passed on to adults?

Hand-foot-and-mouth is an infectious disease that can be passed on from one person to another. Having said that, it is interesting to note that very few adolescents and adults get infected by the disease.

In rare cases that an adult catches the disease, the condition tends to be mild and not serious. However, it can be more severe if the infected person is an elderly, pregnant, or with a weak immune system.

How is it transmitted?

Direct skin contact
Contact with the nasal mucus or saliva of the infected person
Contact with the feces of the infected child. This can happen through the contamination of objects in the house.

How long is the contagious period of hand-foot-and-mouth disease in NZ? The virus may stay and spread for as long as three weeks. It is most contagious during the first week of infection.

What are the symptoms of hand-foot-and-mouth disease?

Lesions on hands and feet. These can appear on the palms and fingers, as well as on the soles and toes.
Ulcers, or sores, on the tongue, gums, and inner cheek of the mouth
Red spots and blisters on the buttocks
Rashes without blistering
Fever
Sore throat
Headache
Loss of appetite

Hand-foot-and-mouth is not caused by fungi. However, some symptoms may look like that of a fungal skin infection

Aside from physical examination, a clinical test may be necessary for a proper diagnosis of this disease. This may include stool analysis, blood test, and skin biopsy.

Treatment

While the blisters can be painful, hand-foot-and-mouth disease is actually not a serious illness. The virus may go away on its own even without medicines.

However, infected people should still go to the doctor for proper treatment. This is very important because children can suffer and get complications from the wrong administration of medicine.

Common Medicines for HMF disease include:

Topical ointments
Pain relievers like ibuprofen
Lozenges for sore throat

To provide relief from pain, home remedies like the ones listed below may help:

Swab some coconut oil or other gentle oils onto the rashes to treat blisters and avoid inflammation.
Alternatively, you may use a hypoallergenic and anti-itch lotion.
Always keep the blisters clean.
Drink ginger tea every day. Ginger has antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties.
Cold treats like ice cream and smoothies may help with a sore throat. This is because cold foods have a numbing effect on the throat.

Prevention

Proper hygiene is key to stopping the spread of this disease. As an adult, always wash your hands properly. Common areas in the house should be cleaned and disinfected.

Children should also learn to wash their hands often, especially before eating and after using the bathroom. Moreover, it is important to teach children not to put any object in the mouth.

If you need to buy medication for hand-foot-and-mouth disease, just go and visit Royal Oak Pharmacy in Auckland, NZ.

How easily does hand foot and mouth spread to adults?

Hand, foot, and mouth disease spreads through close personal contact, such as kissing or hugging, coughing and sneezing, contact with feces (poop), and touching objects or surfaces that have the virus on them then putting your fingers in your eyes, nose or mouth.

Can adults give other adults hand foot and mouth?

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is caused by viruses. A person infected with one of these viruses is contagious, which means that they can pass the virus to other people. People with hand, foot, and mouth disease are usually most contagious during the first week that they are sick.

Is hand Foot and mouth highly contagious to adults?

Your child is most contagious during the first week of having hand-foot-and-mouth disease. But the virus can remain in the body for weeks after the symptoms go away. That means your child still can infect others. Some people, especially adults, can pass the virus without showing any symptoms of the disease.

Can adults get hand foot and mouth from a child?

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is common in children under 5 years old, but anyone can get it. The illness is usually not serious, but it is very contagious.