Question
Will hand, foot, and mouth disease recur? My child’s buttocks, hands, and feet have developed red rashes again. After the third day of illness, the child developed a fever. When we went to the hospital for a check-up, the rashes had begun to fade. However, after the fever, the child had a loss of appetite and sometimes dry heaves.
Answer
There are many subtypes of the hand, foot, and mouth disease virus. Usually, one is not reinfected by the same virus but may have a recurrence due to other subtypes. After being infected with hand, foot, and mouth disease, it is important to actively undergo antiviral treatment to prevent transmission. Generally, if there are no other symptoms one week after the symptoms disappear, it indicates recovery and will not recur. However, due to the possibility of re-infection by different subtypes of viruses, precautions should be taken. Medications that lower immunity such as gamma globulin and transfer factors should only be used for a short period of time and will not lower immunity in the long term. It is important to ensure that children have a balanced diet, pay attention to nutrition, and engage in appropriate physical exercise to strengthen their constitution and boost their immunity.