Patient's question:
What are the causes of hand, foot, and mouth disease? What is the theoretical basis? How should prevention work? Please describe it specifically.Doctor's answer:
The source of hand, foot, and mouth disease is patients and asymptomatic carriers. During outbreaks, patients are the main source of transmission. Patients excrete the virus from the pharynx 1 to 2 weeks after onset and excrete the virus from the feces for about 3 to 5 weeks. The vesicular fluid contains a large amount of virus, which is released when the vesicles rupture. Therefore, it is mainly spread through close contact between people. The virus in the patient's throat secretions and saliva can be spread through airborne droplets. Saliva, vesicular fluid, feces, and contaminated hands, towels, handkerchiefs, tooth cups, toys, utensils, feeding utensils, bedding, and underwear can be spread through daily contact. This disease is highly contagious, and its transmission routes are complex, which can lead to large-scale outbreaks in a short period of time.