Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease

Key points about hand, foot and mouth disease

• hand, foot and mouth disease is a common viral illness in tamariki (children)
• they may get red or fluid-filled blisters on their hands and feet or other parts of their body
• tamariki may also get painful red blisters in and around their mouth
• keep your child at home until they are well again and all the blisters have dried

What is hand, foot and mouth disease?

Hand, foot and mouth disease is a common viral illness in tamariki.

Human hand, foot and mouth disease is not related to foot and mouth disease in animals.

Risk factors for hand, foot and mouth disease

Hand, foot and mouth disease can affect anyone. It is most common in tamariki under 10, especially in pre-school tamariki.

Hand, foot and mouth disease is more common in warm weather — usually in the summer or early autumn. But it can happen at any time of year.

How hand, foot and mouth disease spreads

Hand, foot and mouth disease is very easy to catch. 

It spreads from person to person by coughing or sneezing.  You can also get it from contact with mucus, saliva, blisters, or the poo of an infected person. Tamariki can catch the disease by touching toys. They can get the illness if they put their hands or toys in their mouths. 

Tamariki with hand, foot and mouth disease usually spread it in the first week. This happens before all the blisters have dried.

Signs and symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease

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Title: Hand, foot & mouth disease symptoms

Main picture: A child sitting cross-legged with labels pointing to different symptoms. The symptom illustrations are connected to the main illustration with dotted lines.

There are 7 symptoms which are labelled:

• Fever
• Headache
• Sore throat
• Blisters inside and around the mouth
• Blisters on the hands
• Blisters on the feet
• Tiredness

There are 5 illustrations showing close-ups of selected symptoms:

• Fever: Child’s face looking hot and flushed.
• Blisters inside and around the mouth: Red sores and blisters in the mouth and on the tongue.
• Blisters on the hands: A hand with red spots and blisters.
• Blisters on the feet: Feet with red spots and blisters.
• Tiredness: Child's face looking sleepy and worn out.

Symptoms start around 4 to 6 days after infection with the virus.

Your child may have a mild fever for 1 to 2 days before other symptoms appear. 

Blisters

Small blisters usually appear first around the mouth and on the gums and sides of the tongue. Your child may complain of a sore mouth or throat, or they may go off their food and refuse fluids. 

Small blisters can appear on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. Some tamariki may also get a rash around their bottom. The rash can appear elsewhere on your child's body. These blisters are not usually itchy or painful.

The blisters and ulcers usually go away after 7 to 10 days.

Other symptoms

• loss of appetite
• a sore throat
• headache
• a general feeling of weakness or tiredness

Hand, foot and mouth disease is usually mild and lasts about 3 to 7 days.

Very rarely, the hand, foot and mouth virus causes a more severe rash, involving more of the body. Or the virus may cause a more serious illness, including inflammation of the brain or heart. 

Hand, foot and mouth disease can happen more than once

Hand, foot and mouth disease can occasionally happen more than once. This is because there are different types of the virus that cause it.

Diagnosis of hand, foot and mouth disease

A health professional can usually diagnose hand, foot and mouth disease. They can do this after checking your child. 

Symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease can sometimes seem like chickenpox. But the chickenpox rash is usually all over the body. Sometimes, the blisters in the mouth can seem like cold sores in a child's mouth.

When to get medical help for hand, foot and mouth disease

Call Healthline on 0800 611 116 or take your child to a health professional if:

• they haven't been able to drink because of a painful mouth
• they have had fewer than 4 wet nappies in 24 hours
• they seem to be getting worse or are not getting better after a few days

Preventing the spread of hand, foot and mouth disease

Keep your child at home if they are unwell or have blisters. Keep them at home until all the blisters have dried.

Frequent hand washing helps decrease the chance of spreading the infection. This is because the virus is in poo, blisters and saliva, and from a runny nose.

Take special care to wash hands:

• after using the toilet
• when changing nappies - the virus can be in poo for several weeks
• when touching toys and things that tamariki hold or put in their mouths

Staying away from others who have hand, foot and mouth disease helps prevent the illness spreading.

Make sure to clean toys and avoid sharing toys during the infection.

Caring for your child with hand, foot and mouth disease at home

If your child's mouth is sore, don't give them sour, salty or spicy foods.

Make sure they have plenty to drink. This prevents dehydration.

If your child is miserable with hand, foot and mouth disease, you can give them paracetamol. Follow the dosage instructions on the bottle. It is dangerous to give more than the recommended dose. 

Never give your child aspirin. This may increase the risk of Reye syndrome - a rare and serious illness.

Treatment for hand, foot and mouth disease

There is no specific treatment for hand, foot and mouth disease.

Exposure to hand, foot and mouth disease in pregnancy

Hand, foot and mouth disease is rare in healthy adults. So, the risk of infection during pregnancy is very low. If a pregnant woman gets the disease, the risk of complications is also very low.

If you catch the virus shortly before you give birth, you can pass the infection on to your baby. Most pēpi (babies) born with hand, foot and mouth disease have only mild symptoms.

In very rare cases, catching hand, foot and mouth disease in pregnancy may lead to a miscarriage. 

To be safe, see your lead maternity carer or other health professional if:

• you have contact with hand, foot and mouth disease when pregnant or
• you develop any kind of rash

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Healthline

Healthline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 0800 611 116. Call Healthline if you need advice about a child of any age who is unwell, hurt, or has any symptoms of sickness. It's free to callers throughout New Zealand, including from a mobile phone.

Call Healthline 0800 611 116