Question
What Does Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease Look Like?
Answer
Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD) is an epidemic skin and mucosal disease caused by the Coxsackie A16 virus infection. It is a vesicular disease that primarily affects the skin of the hands, feet, and oral mucosa. It usually has an incubation period of 2 to 5 days, with initial mild systemic symptoms including low-grade fever, drowsiness, headache, coughing, runny nose, and loss of appetite. Then, painful small blisters appear on the cheeks, gums, hard palate, tongue, lips, and pharyngeal mucosa, surrounded by red halos. They can merge together and quickly break down to form white erosive superficial ulcers on the face and pharynx. They typically crust over after a few days. The disease can be treated within 1 to 2 weeks. Some children may also experience symptoms such as abdominal pain and diarrhea.