“The infection is mild generally but is highly contagious. The
can be quite painful causing difficulty in eating. It affects mostly school-going children who pass the infection to one another. While the infection is self-limiting, it can last for about five to seven days and a child can get re-infection,” said pediatric rheumatologist Priyankar Pal of the Institute of Child Health, Kolkata.
There is no specific treatment for this viral illness, which is most commonly caused by Coxsackievirus.
“We are getting an increasing number of HFMD cases. There is treatment only for symptomatic relief. While the virus is not very toxic, some children, especially younger ones, may refuse food and water due to pain in swallowing that may cause dehydration,” said Dibyendu Raychaudhuri, associate professor of paediatrics at Medical College Hospital, Kolkata.
Preventive Measures of the Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease Outbreak
Doctors advised concerned youngsters not to attend school for at least a week to contain the spread. Parents should also encourage their children to drink plenty of water to ensure adequate rehydration.
According to doctors, the HFMD outbreak will last through October 2023.
Reference :
- Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease – (https:www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK431082/)
Source: Medindia
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