Last year, there was an outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease in Linyi, Shandong Province, resulting in the death of many children, and this year, there was an epidemic in Fuyang, Anhui Province, resulting in the death of 19 children, in order to help parents understand the disease and do a good job of prevention, now a brief introduction: I. Disease Overview Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is an infectious disease caused by intestinal viruses, mostly in infants and young children, can cause herpes on the hands, feet, mouth and other parts, individual HFMD can cause myocarditis, pulmonary edema, aseptic meningoencephalitis and other complications. There are more than 20 types of enteroviruses that cause HFMD. Coxsackievirus types 16, 4, 5, 9, and 10 of group A, types 2 and 5 of group B, and enterovirus type 71 are the more common pathogens of HFMD, with coxsackievirus type A16 (Cox A16) and enterovirus type 71 (EV 71) being the most common. The incubation period of the disease is 2-7 days, and the source of infection includes patients and latently infected persons. During epidemics, patients are the main source of infection. Patients can excrete virus from the pharynx during the acute phase of the disease; herpes fluid contains a large amount of virus, which is spilled when it breaks; and the virus can still be excreted in the stool several weeks after the disease. The disease is transmitted in various ways, mainly through close contact with people. The virus can be transmitted through indirect contact with hands, towels, handkerchiefs, dental cups, toys, eating utensils, milk utensils, bedding, underwear, etc. contaminated with saliva, herpes fluid, and feces; the virus in the patient’s throat secretions and saliva can be transmitted through droplets; if contacted with water sources contaminated with the virus, it can also be transmitted through water; cross-infection in outpatient clinics and substandard disinfection of oral instruments are also causes of transmission. The population is generally susceptible to the enterovirus that causes HFMD, and immunity can be acquired after infection. Because of the lack of cross-protection of antibodies after infection with different pathogens, the population can be repeatedly infected. Most adults have acquired the appropriate antibodies through recessive infection; therefore, HFMD patients are mainly preschool children, with the highest incidence in the 3-year-old age group. According to foreign literature, the epidemic can occur once every 2 to 3 years in the population. HFMD is widely distributed and has no obvious regional distribution; it can occur in all seasons, with a high incidence in summer and autumn. The disease often occurs sporadically after an epidemic; during the epidemic, kindergartens and nurseries are prone to collective infections, and families can also experience clusters. The disease is highly contagious, the transmission route is complex, in a short period of time can cause a large scale epidemic. Clinical features: acute onset, fever, scattered herpes in the oral mucosa, rice-grain sized, painful, rice-grain sized herpes on the palms of the hands or feet, and occasional involvement of the buttocks or knees. The herpes is surrounded by an inflammatory redness with little fluid in the blisters. Some children may have a cough, runny nose, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and headache. The disease is self-limiting and most have a good prognosis with no sequelae. Very few children may have serious complications such as meningitis, encephalitis, myocarditis, flaccid paralysis, and pulmonary edema. Learn about similar outbreaks in kindergartens or schools, or cases with a history of contact with similar patients, etc. The onset of the disease is mainly in preschool children. 2. For mild cases, outpatient symptomatic treatment is the main focus. Serious cases (neurological or cardiovascular symptoms) should be treated in hospital. (B) Prevention and control measures Wash hands before and after meals, promote room ventilation, and establish good personal hygiene habits; parents are advised to let their children go to crowded public places as little as possible to reduce the chance of being infected. Seek medical consultation and isolation in a timely manner when symptoms such as fever and rash appear. HFMD is not terrible, most patients are very mild and can be cured with a little oral antiviral such as acyclovir and vitamin C at home, which usually takes about a week. However, pay attention to symptoms such as poor mental health, reluctance to move around, vomiting, headache and seizures, etc. You should consult a doctor and seek treatment urgently.