Patient's question:
Is hand, foot, and mouth disease spread through the air?Doctor's answer:
Air can transmit the disease, and the source of infection is animals suffering from foot-and-mouth disease. The blood, skin and mucous membrane secretions, saliva, urine, feces, and milk of infected animals all contain the virus. Most infections occur through direct contact with infected animals or when the virus enters the human body through tiny skin wounds during milking. Occasionally, people can become infected by consuming contaminated cow's milk, cheese, butter, or other dairy products, making it almost ubiquitous. Therefore, prevention is more important than treatment for hand, foot, and mouth disease. Babies have delicate bodies, and as parents, we must help them prevent hand, foot, and mouth disease.