Madison Clarke
Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common illness in children under 5 years old, but anyone can get it. It is usually not serious and goes away on its own within 7 to 10 days, but it is highly contagious. HFMD is caused by an enterovirus, most often a coxsackievirus, which is a type of virus that typically lives in a person's digestive tract. While there is no vaccine available in the United States, a vaccine has been developed in China, and other studies are exploring the effectiveness of vaccines against HFMD.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Cause of hand, foot, and mouth disease | Enterovirus, most often coxsackievirus |
| Vaccine availability | No vaccine available in the United States |
| Treatment | Symptomatic treatment, no specific treatment |
| Prevention | Wash hands often, clean and disinfect surfaces, avoid close contact with infected people |
| Symptoms | Fever, mouth sores, skin rash, throat pain |
| Contagiousness | Very contagious, spreads through close contact, coughing, sneezing, touching contaminated surfaces |
| Duration | Usually goes away in 7 to 10 days |
| Vaccine trials | EV71 vaccine trial in China showed 90% effectiveness against one virus causing the disease |
| Vaccine limitations | Does not protect against all viruses causing hand, foot, and mouth disease |
| Vaccine effectiveness | Greater two-dose vaccination rate increases vaccine effectiveness |
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What You'll Learn
- There is no vaccine in the US to prevent hand, foot, and mouth disease
- The disease is caused by an enterovirus, most often a coxsackievirus
- HFMD is highly contagious and can spread through close contact, sneezing, coughing, or contaminated surfaces
- A vaccine for EV71, a strain responsible for severe cases, has been developed and is used in China and Thailand
- There is no specific treatment for HFMD, only symptomatic treatment to relieve pain and fever
There is no vaccine in the US to prevent hand, foot, and mouth disease
Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common illness in children under 5 years old, but anyone can get it. It is usually not serious and goes away on its own in about a week to 10 days. However, it is highly contagious and can spread quickly in schools and daycare centers. HFMD is caused by an enterovirus, most often a coxsackievirus, which typically lives in a person's digestive tract.
While there is no vaccine in the United States to prevent HFMD, it is important to take preventive measures to reduce the risk of infection. These include frequent handwashing with soap and water, especially after using the toilet, changing diapers, before eating, and before preparing food. Additionally, disinfecting frequently touched surfaces and items such as toys and doorknobs can help prevent the spread of the disease. It is also crucial to avoid close contact with infected individuals, including hugging and kissing, and to practice good respiratory hygiene by covering the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.
In 2013, scientists in China reported the development of the first vaccine to protect against HFMD. This vaccine, made from a deactivated enterovirus 71 (EV71), was found to be 90% effective in preventing the disease caused by this particular virus. However, it does not protect against other viruses that can cause HFMD, such as Coxsackievirus A16 and other strains of EV71. As a result, the vaccine may have a limited impact on reducing the overall incidence of HFMD, even with universal mass immunization of children.
While the EV71 vaccine has shown promising results in China, it is important to note that the efficacy and effectiveness of vaccines can vary across different populations and geographic regions. The development of a multivalent vaccine that targets multiple strains of the virus may be necessary to effectively prevent HFMD worldwide. In the absence of a widely available vaccine, the focus remains on preventive measures and symptomatic treatment to manage the disease.
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The disease is caused by an enterovirus, most often a coxsackievirus
Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a highly contagious illness that is common in children under 5 years old but can affect anyone. It is typically not serious, and most people recover within 7 to 10 days without medical treatment. However, it can cause fever, mouth sores, and skin rashes, and in some cases, it may lead to more severe complications.
Coxsackieviruses are a specific type of enterovirus that has been identified as the predominant cause of HFMD epidemics worldwide. There are two main types of coxsackieviruses implicated in HFMD: coxsackievirus A16 (CV-A16) and coxsackievirus A (CV-A). CV-A16 was first isolated in South Africa in 1951, and since then, it has caused large life-threatening epidemics across the globe, including in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia.
In addition to coxsackieviruses, other enteroviruses such as enterovirus 71 (EV-A71 or EV71) have also been identified as a significant cause of HFMD. EV71 is of particular concern due to its association with severe neurological complications and fatal outcomes, especially in children. The recurrence of outbreaks and the high morbidity and mortality rates associated with enteroviruses have prompted the World Health Organization to declare HFMD a rising menace in Asia.
While there is currently no vaccine available in the United States to prevent HFMD caused by all types of enteroviruses, researchers in China have developed a vaccine specifically targeting EV71. This vaccine has shown promising results in clinical trials, preventing 90% of cases of HFMD caused by EV71 in a study involving 10,000 children. However, it is important to note that this vaccine does not protect against other viruses that cause HFMD, such as coxsackieviruses.
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HFMD is highly contagious and can spread through close contact, sneezing, coughing, or contaminated surfaces
Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a highly contagious illness that can affect anyone, but it is most common in children under five years old. It is caused by an enterovirus, most often a coxsackievirus, which typically lives in the digestive tract. HFMD usually causes fever, mouth sores, and a skin rash, and it can spread very easily through close contact, sneezing, coughing, or contaminated surfaces.
To prevent the spread of HFMD, it is important to maintain good hygiene practices. This includes washing your hands frequently with soap and water, especially after using the toilet, changing diapers, before eating, and before preparing food. It is also crucial to clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and shared items, such as toys and doorknobs. Avoiding close contact with infected individuals, including hugging and kissing, is essential to minimise the risk of transmission.
When coughing or sneezing, it is important to cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve, not your hands, and to encourage children to do the same. This helps prevent the spread of droplets containing the virus. Additionally, teaching children good hand hygiene practices, such as frequent hand washing, can help prevent the spread of HFMD in schools and daycare centres, where it can spread quickly.
While HFMD is usually not serious and most people recover within 7 to 10 days without medical treatment, it can cause discomfort and impact quality of life during that time. The highly contagious nature of the disease, coupled with the lack of a universally effective vaccine, underscores the importance of preventative measures to control its spread.
Although a vaccine against hand, foot, and mouth disease has been developed and tested in China, it specifically targets the enterovirus 71 (EV71) strain. While the vaccine has shown effectiveness in preventing EV71-caused HFMD, it does not protect against other viruses that cause the disease, such as Coxsackievirus A16 and other strains of EV71. As such, the vaccine's overall impact on reducing HFMD incidence may be limited, and it is not a comprehensive solution to prevent all cases of the disease.
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A vaccine for EV71, a strain responsible for severe cases, has been developed and is used in China and Thailand
Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common illness in children under five years old, but anyone can get it. It is usually not serious, but it is highly contagious. HFMD is caused by an enterovirus, most often a coxsackievirus. An enterovirus is a type of virus that typically lives in a person's digestive tract, which includes the mouth, throat, intestines, and rectum.
Enterovirus 71 (EV71), also known as Enterovirus A71 (EV-A71), is a strain of the virus that can cause severe neurological disease and hand, foot, and mouth disease in children. It was first isolated and characterized from cases of neurological disease in California in 1969. Since then, it has spread to various Asian countries, causing several outbreaks.
Due to the serious health burden caused by EV71, several strategies have been employed to develop vaccines against it. Conventional vaccines such as inactivated EV71 vaccines have been studied extensively and are considered safe and effective. In 2013, Sinovac Biotech Ltd., a pharmaceutical company in China, conducted an experimental trial for an EV71 vaccination. In December 2015, the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) approved the first EV71 vaccine. The vaccine was administered to approximately 10,000 children between the ages of 6 and 35 months, and it was found to be effective in preventing HFMD.
The continuous changes in EV71 strains pose a challenge in designing a universal vaccine. However, the introduction of the two-dose EV71 vaccination in 2016 was an effective intervention to prevent HFMD in Guangzhou, China, especially among children aged three years. The results of this study also highlight the urgent need for a bivalent EV71/CVA16 vaccine and the expansion of EV71 vaccine coverage.
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There is no specific treatment for HFMD, only symptomatic treatment to relieve pain and fever
Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common illness, especially in children under 5 years old, but it can affect anyone. It is usually not serious and often goes away on its own within 7 to 10 days with minimal or no medical treatment. However, it is highly contagious and can spread rapidly in schools and daycare centres.
There is currently no specific treatment for HFMD. The focus of treatment is on relieving symptoms and ensuring comfort. Over-the-counter medications, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, can be taken to reduce fever and pain caused by mouth sores. It is important to avoid giving aspirin to children due to the risk of Reye syndrome, a rare but serious illness. To soothe a sore throat, gargling with a mixture of salt and warm water can be helpful. Staying hydrated is crucial, as mouth sores can make swallowing painful, and dehydration is a concern. Cold fluids are recommended, as hot beverages, juices, and soda can irritate mouth sores. Cold milk products or cold Pedialyte are suitable options for children. Spicy and acidic foods should be avoided. For older children and adults, a numbing mouthwash or spray can provide pain relief.
While there is no vaccine specifically for HFMD in the United States, a vaccine against the enterovirus 71 (EV71) strain, which is responsible for severe cases of HFMD, has been developed and is available in Thailand and China. This vaccine has shown effectiveness in preventing hospital admissions and severe cases caused by EV71. However, it does not protect against other viruses that cause HFMD, such as the Coxsackievirus A16. The development of a multivalent vaccine that targets multiple strains of the virus is an ongoing area of research and is considered a priority in some Asian countries.
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Frequently asked questions
Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is caused by many different viruses, including Coxsackievirus A16 and various strains of EV71. Developing a vaccine that protects against all these viruses is challenging. However, researchers in China have developed a vaccine that protects against EV71, which is one of the predominant strains in the country.
The EV71 vaccine has been shown to be effective in preventing infections caused by the EV71 virus. In a trial involving 10,000 children, the vaccine was 90% effective in preventing hand, foot, and mouth disease caused by EV71. However, it does not protect against other viruses that cause the disease.
The EV71 vaccine is available in China and Thailand. It is suitable for children from 6 months to 5 years old and is given in two doses, with an interval of one month between the doses.
