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Health
Facts About Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease
A
ccording
to the Centers
for Disease Control and
Prevention (www.cdc.
gov), Hand, Foot and
MouthDisease (commonly
abbreviated as HFMD) is a
common viral illness that
affects infants and children below the age of
five. It does sometimes occur in adults. HFMD
is sometimes confused with foot-and-mouth
disease (or hoof-and-mouth disease) associ-
atedwith cattle, sheep and swine. While both
are viral diseases, they are unrelated and are
caused by different viruses. One is exclusive
to humans, the other is exclusive to animals.
Signs and Symptoms
From the time of infection, signs and symp-
toms may start showing between three to
six days. A fever is most common, and the
following symptoms may also show:
• Sore throat
• Feeling of being unwell (malaise)
• Painful, red, blister-like sores on the
tongue, gums and inside of the cheeks
• A red rash, without itching but sometimes
with blistering, on the palms, soles and
sometimes the buttocks
• Irritability in infants and toddlers
• Poor appetite