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http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hand-foot-and-mouth-dise...
Causes
The most common cause of hand-foot-and-mouth disease is infection due to the coxsackievirus A16. The coxsackievirus belongs to a group of viruses called enteroviruses. Other enteroviruses sometimes cause hand-foot-and-mouth disease. Most cases of hand-foot-and-mouth disease aren't serious.
Oral ingestion is the main source of coxsackievirus infection and hand-foot-and-mouth disease. The illness spreads by person-to-person contact with nose and throat discharges, saliva, fluid from blisters, or the stool of someone with the infection. Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is most common in children in child care settings, where diaper changing and potty training are constant, and little hands often are in and out of the mouth frequently.
Risk factors
Hand-foot-and-mouth disease primarily affects children younger than 10. Children in child care centers are especially susceptible to outbreaks of hand-foot-and-mouth disease because the infection spreads by person-to-person contact with nose and throat discharges, saliva, fluid from blisters, or the stool of someone with the infection. The virus can also spread through a mist of fluid sprayed into the air when someone coughs or sneezes.
Although less common, hand-foot-and-mouth disease can also occur in adolescents and adults. Because they've most often developed immunity, adults and older children are less likely than younger children are to be susceptible to illness from coxsackievirus infection.
The coxsackievirus may spread for weeks after signs and symptoms have disappeared. Some people excreting the virus, especially most adults, may have no signs or symptoms of hand-foot-and-mouth disease.
The risk of contracting hand-foot-and-mouth disease is greater in the summer and fall.
Prevention
Certain precautions can help to reduce the chances of infection with hand-foot-and-mouth disease:
* Wash hands carefully. Be sure to wash your hands frequently and thoroughly, especially after using the toilet or changing a diaper, and before preparing food and eating. When soap and water aren't available, use hand wipes or gels treated with germ-killing alcohol.
* Disinfect common areas. Get in the habit of cleaning high-traffic areas and surfaces first with soap and water, then with a diluted solution of chlorine bleach, approximately 1/4 cup of bleach to 1 gallon of water. Child care centers should follow a strict schedule of cleaning and disinfecting all common areas, including shared items such as toys, as the virus can live on these objects for days. Clean your baby's pacifiers often.
* Teach good hygiene. Be a positive role model by showing your children how to practice good hygiene and how to keep themselves clean. Explain to them why it's best not to put their fingers, hands or any other objects in their mouths.
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Isolate contagious people. Because hand-foot-and-mouth disease is highly contagious, people with the illness should limit their exposure to others while they have active signs and symptoms. Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is most contagious during the first week of illness. However, the coxsackievirus may spread for weeks after signs and symptoms have disappeared.
Keep children with hand-foot-and-mouth disease out of child care or school until fever is gone and mouth sores have healed. If you have the illness, stay home from work.
