Hand ,Foot and Mouth Disease

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) is a viral illness with a distinct clinical presentation of oral and characteristic distal extremity lesions. Most commonly, the etiologic agents are coxsackieviruses, members of the Picornaviridae family.
HFMD is a common viral illness of infants and children. The disease causes fever and blister-like eruptions in the mouth and/or a skin rash. HFMD is often confused with foot-and-mouth (also called hoof-and-mouth) disease, a disease of cattle, sheep, and swine; however, the two diseases are not related—they are caused by different viruses. Humans do not get the animal disease, and animals do not get the human disease.
Hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) is more severe in infants and children than adults, but generally, the disease has a mild course. Symptoms such as malaise, low-grade fever, and anorexia are often present. Occasionally, patients have high fever, marked malaise, diarrhea, and arthralgias.

Infection is spread from person to person by direct contact with infectious virus. Infectious virus is found in the nose and throat secretions, saliva, blister fluid, and stool of infected persons. The virus is most often spread by persons with unwashed, virus-contaminated hands and by contact with virus-contaminated surfaces. The viruses that cause HFMD can remain in the body for weeks after a patient's symptoms have gone away. This means that the infected person can still pass the infection to other people even though he/she appears well. Also, some persons who are infected and excreting the virus, including most adults, may have no symptoms.

Usually, no medical care is necessary for hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD).The topical application of anesthetics is beneficial. Viscous lidocaine, dyclonine solution, or diphenhydramine (Benadryl) may be used to treat painful oral ulcers. Antipyretics may be used to manage fever, and analgesics may be used to treat arthralgias.