Characteristics of hand, foot and mouth disease in adults

Hand, foot and mouth disease is caused by the Enterovirus. Most cases occur in the summer and early fall, and the most affected group is children under 5 years old. However, adults can still get the disease if you have never had hand, foot and mouth disease before or your body's immune system cannot fight the virus that causes the disease.
 

1. Hand, foot and mouth disease in adults

Coxsackievirus A16 and enterovirus 71 are the causes of hand, foot and mouth disease. The disease spreads mainly through the gastrointestinal tract.

Hand, foot and mouth disease is a common disease in young children, especially children under 5 years old. However, adults can still get the disease because the body's immune system cannot fight the virus.

The disease is characterized by fever, concentrated blisters on the palms and soles, mouth ulcers, and widespread rashes. Hand, foot and mouth disease in adults is more likely to cause dangerous complications than in children, and can be life-threatening if not treated promptly.

For adults, the most vulnerable group to hand, foot and mouth disease is pregnant women. Pregnant women with hand, foot and mouth disease can lead to serious complications for the fetus such as: Increasing the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth or infection during pregnancy…
 

2. Warning signs of hand, foot and mouth disease in adults

Hand, foot and mouth disease often begins with symptoms of fever, loss of appetite, sore throat, fatigue or even coma.

After the fever, ulcers may appear and develop in the mouth, causing the patient to feel pain. These ulcers are called herpangina, appearing as spots that are usually located deep in the oral cavity. They can also blister and become even more painful. At the same time as the sores or some time after they appear, a rash and itching on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet may occur. The rash may spread to the arms, legs, buttocks, genitals, abdomen and back of the patient.

Common symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease in adults include::

• Fever
• Cough
• Runny nose
• Fatigue, even lethargy
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Sore throat
• Muscle aches
• Loss of appetite
• Blisters appear on the tongue, gums, inside the cheeks causing pain for the patient.
• Red rash appears on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet or even the buttocks, abdomen, back but does not cause itching.

While children often show some symptoms of the disease relatively clearly, adults often do not show symptoms.

Hand, foot and mouth disease is contagious to all ages. Maintaining regular personal hygiene is crucial to overall health and helps limit the spread of diseases, including hand, foot, and mouth disease.

3. How is hand, foot and mouth disease transmitted in adults?

Hand, foot and mouth disease is caused by an infectious virus that can be transmitted from person to person through secretions in the nose and throat including: Saliva, mucus, fluid from mouth ulcers or feces.

In addition, normal people can also be exposed to the virus through activities such as:

• Close personal contact with an infected person
• Breathing air contaminated with the virus when an infected person sneezes or coughs
• Touching contaminated objects  such as infected children's toys, tables, chairs, doorknobs, etc.
• Exposure with contaminated water sources such as drinking the same cup of water or swimming in the same pool with an infected person.

To treat hand, foot and mouth disease and prevent it from spreading, patients need to be taken to medical facilities so that doctors can pro vide appropriate treatment regimens, especially for children. If there are any abnormal symptoms, it is necessary to immediately notify the treating doctors. It is important to provide continuous water to help children avoid dehydration and provide children with some soft foods that they can easily absorb when sick.

Hand, foot and mouth disease can resolve after 7-10 days. There is no vaccine or specific treatment for the disease.
 

4. Complications of hand, foot and mouth disease

Although relatively rare, hand, foot and mouth disease can lead to serious complications related to the nervous system such as: Meningitis, spinal cord inflammation,  according to doctors and experts, if you notice any symptoms of suspected hand, foot and mouth disease, you should immediately go to the nearest medical facility for examination and treatment.

Recently, serious outbreaks of hand, foot and mouth disease around the world have occurred due to a less common strain of Coxsackievirus than EV71 or Coxsackievirus A16. This new strain of virus is called CV A6, which can affect both children and adults. The CV A6 strain was first discovered in 2008 in Finland, the disease is also characterized by lesions around the mouth and lesions on the palms of the hands as well as rashes on the abdomen and back.

Hand, foot and mouth disease is a highly contagious disease and there is still no specific medicine. Therefore, the best way to prevent the disease is to practice good personal hygiene, especially washing hands regularly with soap.

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