Patient's question:
The baby is 4 years old this year. Recently, there has been a severe outbreak of hand, foot, and mouth disease. I'm very worried that my baby might get infected with the virus, so I haven't been out much lately and feel a bit scared. How can I prevent it?Doctor's answer:
Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common infectious disease, primarily affecting infants and young children. Many enteroviruses can cause this illness. EV71 virus is one of them. Generally, the disease occurs throughout the year, with higher incidence rates from May to July. HFMD is transmitted through multiple routes, primarily through close contact with patients' feces, vesicular fluid, and respiratory secretions (such as droplets from coughing), as well as contaminated hands, towels, handkerchiefs, tooth cups, toys, utensils, bottles, bedding, and other items. Currently, there is no vaccine for HFMD, but early detection and treatment can completely prevent and treat the disease.