Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease: What to Look For

Florida State University is dealing with an unusual outbreak of hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD). At least a dozen students have been reported to be infected.

A condition that appears more commonly in babies and toddlers, HFMD begins with a mild fever, sore throat, cough, headache, malaise and diarrhea. Vesicles develop in the mouth and can later appear on the hands, feet and sometimes buttocks.

HFMD is highly contagious and spread by sneezing, saliva, or fecal material.

Suspect your patient has HFMD? Here’s what to look for:

• Small erythametous macules on oropharynx that are often painful
• Lesions on hands, feet that start as erythematous macules and develop a central yellow-gray, oval or football shaped vesicle on an erythematous base – lesions tend to be oriented parallel to skin lines
• Adult infection may have peri-oral involvement, desquamation of palms and soles and onychomadesis.

There is no vaccine available for treatment though several are in the later stages of clinical trails. HFMD is a self-limited viral infection that needs to be treated only symptomatically.

University officials cancelled school activities and are wiping down all living areas (dorms, fraternities, sororities, etc.) in the hopes of stopping the spread of HFMD.

VisualDx has more information about HFMD including more than 80 images of child and adult infection and a easy-to-share handout to share with your patient.

Get a more thorough look at hand-foot-mouth disease with VisualDx.