1.What is hand, foot and mouth disease? What are the manifestations after getting the disease?
Hand, foot and mouth disease is a common and frequent infectious disease, mainly in infants and young children, a variety of enteroviruses can cause, EV71 virus is one of them. It occurs throughout the year, with a high incidence from May to July.
The symptoms of HFMD are generally mild, and most patients tend to develop symptoms of fever first, maculopapular rash and herpes on the palms of the hands and feet (the rash may be surrounded by redness), and herpes and/or ulcers on the oral mucosa with significant pain. Some patients may have cough, runny nose, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting and headache. A few patients are more seriously ill and can be complicated by encephalitis, meningitis, myocarditis and pneumonia, which can be life-threatening if left untreated.
2.How is HFMD transmitted? Is there a vaccine?
Hand, foot and mouth disease is transmitted in many ways, mainly through close contact with the patient’s stool, herpes fluid and respiratory secretions (such as sneezing droplets, etc.) and contaminated hands, towels, handkerchiefs, tooth cups, toys, tableware, bottles, bedding, etc. and infected. There is no vaccine for hand, foot and mouth disease, but as long as early detection and early treatment, is completely preventable and curable.
3.Who is susceptible to HFMD?
Infants and children are commonly affected, and infants and children under 3 years old are more likely to get the disease. Because adults have a better immune system, adults generally do not develop the disease once infected and do not have any symptoms. However, the infection will spread the virus, so adults also need to do a good job of protection to avoid infecting children.
4.Is hand, foot and mouth disease a new infectious disease?
Hand, foot and mouth disease is not a new infectious disease, it is a global infectious disease, first recognized and named in 1957, cases occur every year in countries around the world. Hand, foot and mouth disease was discovered in 1981 in China, and people have been sick every year.
5.Can HFMD be cured?
If you have HFMD, in most cases it can be cured on its own in 7-10 days and will not leave sequelae or scars on the skin. According to the past incidence and cure, only individual patients with severe disease may develop meningitis, pneumonia, etc. Most of them can be cured as long as they actively cooperate with the doctor’s treatment.
6.What should I do if my child has suspicious symptoms?
If your child develops fever, rash and other symptoms, go to a medical institution promptly and observe closely at the same time. Do not go to kindergartens or public places where people gather and avoid playing with other children. Once there is a sudden high fever or confusion, lethargy, muscle or body twitching, difficulty in breathing, etc., send your child to the hospital immediately.
7.How to prevent it in general families?
The key to preventing HFMD is to pay attention to the hygiene of the family and the surrounding environment, and to pay attention to personal hygiene. Wash your hands with soap or hand sanitizer before and after meals and after going out; do not drink raw water and do not eat cold food; ventilate your living room frequently; and dry your clothes and blankets regularly. During the epidemic period, do not take your children to crowded public places with poor air circulation, and avoid contact with sick children.
During the epidemic period, check your child’s skin (mainly the palms of the hands and feet) and mouth every morning for any abnormalities, and pay attention to changes in the child’s body temperature.
8.What should I pay special attention to if my child is infected at home?
Be careful not to let sick children touch other children; children’s saliva, sputum and other secretions should be wrapped in toilet paper and thrown into the trash, children’s feces should be collected, disinfected and thrown into the toilet, do not throw them away, and disinfect the potty; caregivers should wash their hands before touching children, after changing diapers or after handling children’s feces; sick children’s clothes, toys, tableware, pillows and bedding should be kept hygienic, and children’s The child’s clothes, toys, dishes, pillows, bedding, etc. should be kept hygienic and the child’s daily utensils should be disinfected. If a child in kindergarten gets sick, tell the teacher as soon as possible and do not rush the child to kindergarten, but go back a week after all symptoms have disappeared to prevent infecting other children. Generally, there is no need to hospitalize children with mild symptoms, but home treatment and rest is sufficient to reduce cross-infection.
9.How can I disinfect my daily necessities? If there is no child with HFMD at home, the general family prevention method can be used without disinfectant.
If a child has HFMD, the following methods can be used to disinfect: soak pacifiers, bottles, tableware, towels and other items in hot water above 50 degrees for 30 minutes or boil them for 3 minutes; wash contaminated toys, tables, chairs and clothes with chlorine disinfectant (84 disinfectant or bleach) every day according to the instructions; pour an appropriate amount of disinfectant into children’s sputum, saliva, feces, wiping paper and so on. Stir to disinfect before throwing into the toilet.