All About Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease (HFMD)

Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common viral illness that usually affects infants and children younger than 5 years old. However, it can sometimes occur in older children and adults. It is an illness that causes sores in or on the mouth and on the hands, feet, and sometimes the buttocks and legs. The sores may be painful. The illness usually doesn't last more than a week or so.

Sometimes people become confused Hand, foot, and mouth disease with some other similar kind of disease name (foot-and-mouth disease). But they are not the same. foot-and-mouth disease or commonly known as mad cow disease almost always occur in animals.

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is caused by viruses that belong to the Enterovirus genus (group), including polioviruses, coxsackieviruses, echoviruses, and enteroviruses.