Symptoms and Diagnosis of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease

"Hand, foot, and mouth disease is common in infants and children younger than five years old. Most children have mild symptoms for 7 to 10 days.

Symptoms include

Fever and flu-like symptoms

Children often get a fever and other flu-like symptoms three to six days after they catch the virus. Symptoms may include:

• Fever
• Eating or drinking less
• Sore throat
• Feeling unwell

Other symptoms may appear over the next few days.

Mouth sores

One or two days after the fever starts, your child may get painful mouth sores (herpangina). These sores usually start as small red spots, often in the back of that mouth, that blister and can become painful.

Signs that swallowing may be painful for your child:

• Not eating or drinking
• Drooling more than usual
• Only wanting to drink cold fluids

Skin rash

Your child may get a skin rash on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. It may also show up on the knees, elbows, buttocks, or genital area.

The rash usually looks like flat, red spots, sometimes with blisters. Fluid in the blister and the scab that forms as the blister heals may contain the virus that causes hand, foot, and mouth disease. Keep blisters or scabs clean and avoid touching them..."

Hand, foot and mouth disease