At the turn of spring and summer, as temperatures warm up, the number of cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease in children has significantly increased. Recently, Li Xinghai, director of the Infection Department of the Sixth People's Hospital of Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, said in an interview that after entering the high-risk period of hand, foot, and mouth disease, parents and teachers should pay more attention to the symptoms of their children's hands, feet, mouth, and other parts, and seek medical attention promptly if any abnormalities are found.
Hand, foot, and mouth disease is an infectious disease caused by enteroviruses, which can be transmitted through droplets, contact, and food contamination. It is mainly prevalent in children aged 3 to 5 years old. Children usually experience symptoms such as fever, oral herpes, and rash on their hands and feet.
After falling ill, the child's mouth will develop blisters, initially small red dots, which later develop into blisters and eventually rupture to form ulcers. In addition, spotted papules will appear on the hands, feet, and buttocks. It is worth noting that there is a special type of hand foot mouth disease called herpetic pharyngitis, which is mainly characterized by blisters in the mouth, but no papules on the hands, feet, and buttocks. This condition is relatively rare and should be avoided from misdiagnosis or missed diagnosis, "said Li Xinghai.
How to prevent hand, foot and mouth disease in daily life? Li Xinghai suggests washing hands after coming into contact with public goods, before eating or touching the mouth and nose; Maintain indoor air circulation, regularly clean and disinfect toys, tableware, and other items; During the outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease, avoid going to crowded and poorly ventilated public places; Maintain good eating habits and avoid consuming raw, cold, and unclean food.
Most children with hand, foot, and mouth disease have mild symptoms and can heal on their own within about a week, but severe hand, foot, and mouth disease may also lead to encephalitis, meningitis, and even death. Therefore, prevention and control of hand, foot, and mouth disease are particularly important. In addition to strengthening daily protection, vaccination with inactivated enterovirus 71 (EV71) vaccine can effectively reduce the risk of infection, "said Li Xinghai.
