When is hands foot and mouth contagious

The coxsackievirus belongs to a group of viruses called nonpolio enteroviruses. Other types of enteroviruses sometimes cause hand-foot-and-mouth disease. Oral ingestion is the main source of coxsackievirus infection and hand-foot-and-mouth disease.

The illness spreads by person-to-person contact with an infected person's:. Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is most common in children in child care settings because of frequent diaper changes and toilet training, and because little children often put their hands in their mouths. Although your child is most contagious with hand-foot-and-mouth disease during the first week of the illness, the virus can remain in his or her body for weeks after the signs and symptoms are gone.

That means your child still can infect others. Some people, especially adults, can pass the virus without showing any signs or symptoms of the disease. Outbreaks of the disease are more common in summer and autumn in the United States and other temperate climates. In tropical climates, outbreaks occur year-round. Hand-foot-and-mouth disease isn't related to foot-and-mouth disease sometimes called hoof-and-mouth disease , which is an infectious viral disease found in farm animals.

You can't contract hand-foot-and-mouth disease from pets or other animals, and you can't transmit it to them. Hand-foot-and-mouth disease primarily affects children younger than age 10, often those under 5 years. Children in child care centers are especially susceptible to outbreaks of hand-foot-and-mouth disease because the infection spreads by person-to-person contact, and young children are the most susceptible. Children usually develop immunity to hand-foot-and-mouth disease as they get older by building antibodies after exposure to the virus that causes the disease.

However, it's possible for adolescents and adults to get the disease. The most common complication of hand-foot-and-mouth disease is dehydration. The illness can cause sores in the mouth and throat, making swallowing painful and difficult.

Watch closely to make sure your child frequently sips fluid during the course of the illness. If dehydration is severe, intravenous IV fluids may be necessary. A rare and sometimes serious form of the coxsackievirus can involve the brain and cause other complications:. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version.

Visit the USDA website to learn more about foot and mouth disease external icon. When and How to Wash Your Hands. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Minus Related Pages. In schools and daycares. Children should stay home while they have symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease. Viruses that cause hand, foot, and mouth disease Hand, foot, and mouth disease is caused by viruses that belong to the Enterovirus family.

Common causes of hand, foot, and mouth disease are: Coxsackievirus A16 is typically the most common cause of hand, foot, and mouth disease in the United States. Check with your GP surgery before going. They may suggest a phone consultation. Hand, foot and mouth disease is easily passed on to other people. It's spread in coughs, sneezes, poo and the fluid in the blisters.

You can start spreading it from a few days before you have any symptoms, but you're most likely to spread it to others in the first 5 days after symptoms start. But as soon as they're feeling better, they can go back to school or nursery. There's no need to wait until all the blisters have healed. Keeping your child away from other children for longer is unlikely to stop the illness spreading.

Although there's usually no risk to the pregnancy or baby, it's best to avoid close contact with anyone who has hand, foot and mouth disease.