Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease: symptoms, treatment and prevention

Subject : Science and Technology

Section: Health

There has been a spike in cases of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD) in Mumbai. But, as HFMD is not a notifiable disease, the state doesn’t have cumulative data from private hospitals which share most of the caseload.
Doctors have advised the public not to panic, as HFMD is a self-limiting disease and most patients recover within a week.

What is Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease, and how does it spread?

Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease is common in children under the age of 5, but anyone can get it. It is most commonly caused by a coxsackievirus, which belongs to a group of viruses called nonpolio enteroviruses. The illness is usually not serious, but is very contagious. It spreads quickly at schools and daycare centers.
It spreads through person-to-person contact when an infected person’s nose secretions or throat discharge, saliva, fluid from blisters, stool or respiratory droplets are sprayed into the air after a cough or sneeze

What are the profiles of patients with Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease?

City doctors claim that a large number of children below the age of 5 are contracting the infection. The most common age group is 3-4 years.
Some children are coming to hospital with chickenpox-like lesions, but the distribution is limited only to hands and mouths. Whereas, in chickenpox, the lesions are mostly in the chest and abdomen
The usual period from initial infection to the time symptoms appear among patients, which is also called the incubation period, is between 3-6 days.
Some kids have also developed rashes repeatedly 2-3 times after a month or two

Are children with HFMD requiring hospitalisation?

A majority of children have recovered at home and rarely require hospitalisation. As it is a self-limited illness, the symptoms last up to 7-10 days and fade away.

What are symptoms, treatment for Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease?

Patients usually develop fever, sore throat, painful blister-like lesions on the tongue, gums and inside of the cheeks
The children may develop ulcers inside their mouths. Also, rashes are noticed on the palms, soles and sometimes the buttocks
Children are mostly treated with anti-allergic medicines and ointments. The lesions usually disappear in five to six days.
Drink enough liquids. Mouth sores can make it painful to swallow, so your child may not want to drink much. Make sure they drink enough to stay hydrated
Just a precaution, children should follow the guidelines laid for Covid-appropriate behaviour like washing hands and wearing masks
They should wash their hands with soap for at least 20 seconds. In the absence of soap, use alcohol-based hand sanitizers

Notifiable Disease

A notifiable disease is any disease that is required by law to be reported to government authorities.
This will allow authorities to gather information to monitor the disease, and provides early warning of possible outbreaks.
The process will also help the government to keep track and formulate a plan for elimination and control. In less infectious conditions, it improves information about the burden and distribution of disease.
The Centre has notified several diseases such as cholera, diphtheria, encephalitis, leprosy, meningitis, pertussis (whooping cough), plague, tuberculosis, AIDS, hepatitis, measles among others.