The viability of the virus causing hand, foot and mouth disease in the external environment

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Enterovirus A71 is the main cause of hand, foot and mouth disease with severe symptoms, dangerous complications, and even death. Therefore, families need to take preventive measures to protect children from disease-causing viruses.

1. Enterovirus A71 causes hand foot and mouth disease Enterovirus A71 (EV - A71 or EV71) is a virus that causes hand, foot and mouth disease in children. It belongs to the Enterovirus group, the Picornavirus family and was first discovered in 1956.
EV71 virus has a spherical shape, 27 - 30 nm in diameter. The capsid layer has 60 subunits, without an outer layer. Wrapped inside is RNA, the genetic component, which helps it multiply and infect the community.
2. The development process of EV71 virus in the human body After entering the body, Enterovirus 71 - the virus that causes hand, foot and mouth disease, lives mainly in the cheek mucosa or the intestinal mucosa in the ileum. After about 24 hours, they migrate to nearby lymph nodes, then enter the bloodstream causing sepsis over a period of time. From the blood, the virus is transported to the oral mucosa and skin. The incubation period for hand, foot and mouth disease from the time the virus enters is usually about 3-7 days.
Enterovirus 71 is eliminated through feces and oropharyngeal secretions. These are also the two main routes of virus transmission from sick people to healthy people. In addition, this virus has a very strong toxicity, capable of affecting the central nervous system. From there, it can cause many serious clinical symptoms and leave serious complications.

3. The viability of the virus causing hand, foot and mouth disease in the environment The EV71 virus has a persistent vitality. It has the ability to survive from cold to very high temperatures: In 30 minutes the virus is inactivated at 560 degrees Celsius; At a cold temperature of - 40 degrees Celsius, the virus can survive up to 3 weeks in the environment.

Enterovirus 71 is also tolerant to a wide pH spectrum from 3 to 9, less affected by lipid soluble substances such as alcohol, chloroform, phenol, ether. However, it has the disadvantage of being inactivated by antiseptic solutions such as Javen water (Sodium hypochlorite 2%), chlorine, Cl, KMnO4, formol, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2).

4. Symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease Typical symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease are as follows:
Mouth ulcers: Formation of blisters with a diameter of 2-3mm. They are often difficult to see on the oral mucosa because they rupture very quickly to form painful ulcers and increase salivation. Blisters: 2-10mm in size, grey, oval in shape. Blisters on the buttocks or knees, appearing as an erythematous rash. Blisters on the palms and soles that are raised or hidden under the skin, usually painless.
Accordingly, the atypical symptom of hand, foot and mouth disease is very little blisters alternating with erythema, in some cases, only erythema without blisters or only simple mouth ulcers.

5. Prevention of hand foot and mouth disease

Currently, there is no specific vaccine for hand, foot and mouth disease. Therefore, preventive measures are mainly based on community hygiene.
Families with young children should pay attention to the prevention of hand, foot and mouth disease by the following ways:
Food for children: Eat cooked, drink boiling; wash hands before and after cooking and preparing food; Soak, rinse with boiling water bowls, chopsticks, cups and cups before and after meals Hand hygiene to avoid infecting children: Wash hands after going to the toilet, after each diaper change for children Clean living space: Clean toys , school supplies and other items with chloramine B 2% Prevention of infection from the environment: Wear a mask for children every time they go out For sick children: Monitor symptoms and take them to a health facility for treatment. are examined and treated. From the information in the above article, we can see that the viability of the virus causing hand, foot and mouth disease is very large in outside weather conditions, from which the ability to spread the disease is also very strong. Therefore, when seeing a sick person, especially a child, showing signs of hand, foot and mouth disease, it is necessary to take the child to a health center for examination and treatment. Especially during the epidemic season, to avoid overcrowding and overcrowding at the hospital, making the baby tired or cross-infecting some other diseases, parents should also choose reputable and specialized medical facilities. Karma.

Vinmec International General Hospital is the address for receiving and examining respiratory diseases that infants and young children are susceptible to: viral fever, bacterial fever, respiratory infection, pneumonia In children, hand, foot and mouth....With modern equipment, sterile space, minimizing the impact as well as the risk of disease spread. Along with that is the dedication from the doctors with professional experience with pediatric patients, making the examination no longer a concern of the parents.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.