Hand-foot-mouth disease is a common disease characterized by mouth sores, fever, and rashes. Enteroviruses from the family Picornaviridae causes the disease. It is common in infants and children, and is moderately contagious. Contact with feces or mucus of an infected person can trigger contagion.

Doctors take into account the individual’s age, appearance of sores or rashes, and pattern of the symptoms. A stool specimen and a throat swab may be taken for laboratory analysis for determining the type of virus that caused the infection.

There is no cure although treatment is focused on alleviating symptoms. Medication may ease the pain from sores, lameness, and fever. Medication is usually not necessary unless it is a severe case.

Symptoms include upper respiratory problems, low grade fever, abdominal pain, mouth ulcers, malaise, painful oral lesions, sores with blisters on soles of feet and palms of hands as well as buttocks.

Infection by the enteroviruses through saliva, fluid from blisters, throat and nose discharge, or stools cause the disease. This commonly occurs in day-care centers where potty training is constant, and hands of children frequently go into their mouths.