How does we prevent this Hand foot mouth disease?

Hi everyone. I am Dr. Yashvardhan, the senior consultant dermatologist. I am going to speak about hand, foot, and mouth disease. Nowadays it is a very common infection seen in kids as well as in adults also. This hand, foot, and mouth disease is a viral infection caused by the Coxsackie group of viruses that belong to the Picorna family and another virus also causing this hand, foot, and mouth disease i.e., Enterovirus 71. So, coxsackie virus type 16 A and Enterovirus 71 are the two viruses commonly found in association with causing hand, foot, and mouth disease. As told before, this disease is very commonly seen in kids, especially in the school-going age group kids and it is seen as an outbreak in summer camps as well as at the day-care centers. This disease is usually spread by the droplet infection from the mouth like through coughing or sneezing which produces the droplets that infect other kids also and as well as it transmits from the stools and unhygienic practices- kids must be knowing that- from the stools also it gets spread. Using the toilets affects other kids too. So, coming to the clinical feature of this disease, the incubation period of the disease is generally around 3-5 days. In the starting, flu-like symptoms like fever, generalized body ache and sometimes sore throat too, and after these rashes will come which are classic of this disease, those rashes usually start on the second or third day usually, we will see in the third or the fourth day. Rashes are clearly distributed on the hands, foot and mouth. On both hands and both feet and the rashes which are present in the hand are called exanthem, those are skin rashes and the rashes can also be present in the kids on the butex and genitals. These rashes are classically seen as a small blister surrounded by an Erithramated Strim and sometimes it will be painful and other types of rashes which are seen in this disease are infantum. Inantum means lesions present inside the mouth. So, these lesions inside the mouth can be very painful and lead to decrease in food intake in kids so the further immunity might decrease and kids will stop eating food and because of the painful conditions, the hydration will also not be maintained. So, nowadays this kind of disease has been witnessed in adults also but kids have very commonly been affected by these viruses. Coming to the treatment, the treatment is very supported for this, we have only to manage the supported treatment like what we treat for the flow like NSAD, paracetamol, cetirizine and antihistamines and for the painful ulcers, gargles will be used. I will prefer gargles for the kids as well as the local gels can be applied so that the kids can have their food. Hydration should be maintained by water or else all these things. Specific antivirals are not necessary for this hand, foot and mouth disease as it is a self-limiting disease. It will resolve in seven to ten days. Very very rarely this disease can go for the complications as we see similarly in the chicken pox and measles also because this virus can transmit to involve the vital organs like CNS and other nerves and spinal cord also may result in the Encephalitis, acute transverse myelitis and polio like syndrome. These are very very rare but we should know about these conditions. We should monitor such complications if it is all the child is having. And this can be seen in the very much special immune-compromised child and not in all other kids. How to prevent this disease? Prevention is the most important factor in controlling this infection i.eThe proper hygienic practices like handwashing twenty seconds and after using the toilets and not touching the mouth and nose, using the mask and handkerchief while sneezing or coughing. While these practices seem to be difficult in practice, when you are telling the kids and adults to practice this, but still whenever an outbreak is there in the summer camps or the day-care centers or in the schools. The infected children have to be isolated and that is very important and can be managed with the as I told before with a paracetamol or antihistamine treatment. As I told before, when there are complications at Ifatallent, the proper antivirals have to be used. Those are Ribavirin and Amantadine. These are the antivirals that can be used in this hand, foot and mouth disease. To conclude, hand, foot and mouth disease is a simple viral infection that usually resolves in seven to ten days. The parents need not to panic with this infection, only the prevention by hygienic practices and supported treatment and hydration should be maintained in the kids. This is all we know and we should follow this. This is all about hand, foot and mouth disease. Thank you very much.