Overview
Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common infectious condition primarily affecting young children, caused by enteroviruses such as Coxsackievirus A16 and Enterovirus 71 (EV-A71). It presents with characteristic lesions on the hands, feet, and mouth, often accompanied by fever and oral ulcers 23.Diagnosis
Clinical presentation includes vesicular or ulcerative lesions on hands, feet, and mouth, fever, and sometimes gastrointestinal symptoms.
Laboratory tests are not routinely required but may include throat swabs or stool samples for viral detection in severe or atypical cases 2.Management
Supportive care is primary, including hydration, pain relief (e.g., acetaminophen), and topical treatments for oral ulcers 2.
No specific antiviral treatments are universally recommended; management focuses on symptom relief 2.Special Populations
Pediatrics: HFMD predominantly affects young children, with higher morbidity and potential for severe complications like meningitis or encephalitis, especially with EV-A71 23.
Comorbidities: No specific management adjustments mentioned for comorbidities in the provided abstracts 23.Key Recommendations
Monitor and manage hydration and fever in pediatric patients to prevent complications (Evidence: Moderate 2).
Implement public health measures focusing on environmental factors, particularly relative humidity, to mitigate HFMD incidence (Evidence: Moderate 2).
Consider integrating air quality data alongside temperature and historical HFMD rates for more accurate forecasting models to aid in early intervention (Evidence: Moderate 3).
Evaluate the inclusion of vaccination strategies, particularly EV-A71 vaccines, alongside environmental and quarantine measures to assess their combined impact on disease control (Evidence: Expert opinion 4).References
1 Bhutta MS, Awais M, Sadaqat S, Zanchi FB, Shahid N, Qayyum Rao A. A novel immunoinformatics approach for developing a poly-epitope vaccine targeting foot and mouth disease virus, exploiting structural VP proteins. Journal of biomolecular structure & dynamics 2025. link
2 Luo C, Ma Y, Liu Y, Lv Q, Yin F. The burden of childhood hand-foot-mouth disease morbidity attributable to relative humidity: a multicity study in the Sichuan Basin, China. Scientific reports 2020. link
3 Zhong R, Wu Y, Cai Y, Wang R, Zheng J, Lin D et al.. Forecasting hand, foot, and mouth disease in Shenzhen based on daily level clinical data and multiple environmental factors. Bioscience trends 2018. link
4 Shi L, Zhao H, Wu D. Modelling and analysis of HFMD with the effects of vaccination, contaminated environments and quarantine in mainland China. Mathematical biosciences and engineering : MBE 2018. link