How is hand, foot and mouth disease transmitted?

Written by Yao Li Qin
Pediatrics
Updated on June 27, 2025
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Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a viral infection caused by an enterovirus infection, mainly manifesting as exanthematous disease with maculopapular and vesicular rashes on the hands, feet, mouth, and buttocks. It is a contagious disease with relatively strong transmissibility, mainly spread through the respiratory tract, digestive tract, and close contact. Therefore, once a child is diagnosed with hand, foot, and mouth disease, isolation measures must be taken, and the child should not attend kindergarten or school to avoid infecting other healthy children. Additionally, to prevent the occurrence of hand, foot, and mouth disease, it is crucial to ensure proper ventilation by opening windows during the epidemic period to avoid causing an outbreak of the disease.

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Written by Yao Li Qin
Pediatrics
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Is hand, foot, and mouth disease dangerous?

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a common pediatric disease caused by an intestinal viral infection, characterized by fever and rash, with severities ranging from mild to severe. If caused by a typical enterovirus infection, hand, foot, and mouth disease generally recovers quickly with antiviral treatment and proper care of the mouth and skin. However, if caused by an EV71 virus infection, it poses certain risks. This is because the EV71 virus can affect the central nervous system, leading to symptoms such as increased intracranial pressure and respiratory and circulatory dysfunction. These complications can result in respiratory failure and cardiac failure, which are severe manifestations. Therefore, hand, foot, and mouth disease caused by the EV71 virus carries certain risks. Thus, it is important to administer a vaccine made from the EV71 virus to children to prevent severe hand, foot, and mouth disease.

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Written by Yan Xin Liang
Pediatrics
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How to prevent hand, foot, and mouth disease?

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is an infectious disease caused by enteroviruses, with over 20 types, commonly Coxsackievirus A16 and Enterovirus 71. These viruses are mainly transmitted through respiratory and digestive tracts, such as through droplets, hand-mouth contact, and lack of hygiene, leading to infection. To prevent this disease, first, avoid contact with individuals infected with hand, foot, and mouth disease. Second, ensure good ventilation in rooms and avoid crowded places. Additionally, it's best to clean and disinfect utensils and daily necessities. During the epidemic period, try to minimize visits to public places.

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Written by Yan Xin Liang
Pediatrics
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Symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a disease caused by enterovirus that results in sores on the hands, feet, mouth, and buttocks, accompanied by symptoms such as fever. It is generally caused by Enterovirus 71 or Coxsackievirus A16. Most cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease are typical and may involve fever, low fever, or no fever at all. However, common symptoms include sores in the mouth and on the pharynx, as well as on the hands, feet, and buttocks. The general course of the disease lasts five to seven days, but severe cases may last longer. Severe cases may present with symptoms such as listlessness, irritability, vomiting, and trembling limbs. More serious conditions can include microcirculatory disorders, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, neurogenic edema, and bleeding, among others.

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Written by Yao Li Qin
Pediatrics
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Does hand, foot, and mouth disease cause fever?

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a contagious childhood exanthem caused by an intestinal virus infection. The primary symptoms of most hand, foot, and mouth diseases include fever, followed by rashes on the hands, feet, mouth, and buttocks, as well as vesicles in the throat. However, not all children with the disease necessarily experience continuous fever or any fever at all. Some only show symptoms after coming into contact with an infected person, with rashes on the hands, feet, mouth, and buttocks, and vesicles in the throat. In such cases, it is still considered hand, foot, and mouth disease, and fever is not a requisite for diagnosis. Thus, the presence of fever should not be solely relied upon for diagnosing the disease.

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Written by Yan Xin Liang
Pediatrics
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How many days does hand, foot and mouth disease have a fever?

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is caused by an intestinal virus infection and is characterized by acute fever and vesicles or papules on the hands, feet, mouth, buttocks, and other areas. There are more than 20 types of enteroviruses that cause this disease, with the most common being Enterovirus 71 and Coxsackievirus A16. In typical cases, the fever may last about two to three days, but there are also cases with mild symptoms where no fever appears, or only a low fever occurs, lasting one to two days. In severe cases, the fever may last longer, from three to five days or even more. Therefore, it can only be said that in most cases, the fever in typical cases may last about two to three days.