Hand, Foot And Mouth Disease Rising Sharply In Kolkata

Hand, foot and mouth disease in Kolkata: doctors advise caution.

Written By: Kinkini Gupta | Updated : September 5, 2023 1:42 PM IST

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is a mild but a highly contagious viral infection commonly experienced by young children, infants or toddlers, according to Mayo Clinic. In general the symptoms may be mild but it could turn severe for some patients. Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is most commonly caused by a coxsackievirus. There is no definitive medicine for this infection.

According to reports, cases pertaining to this disease are rising sharply in Kolkata. After the onset of monsoon, doctors across the city started getting more and more cases and currently the numbers are rising. This infection may not be very severe but some could turn serious requiring immediate hospitalization, say experts. Since the rate of spread is very high for this infection, Doctors have strictly advised parents to not send their children to school for at least a weak in order to contain it.

Symptoms Of Hand, Foot And Mouth Disease

Some patients may bear the full brunt of the diseases and get all the mentioned symptoms while for others, it may be milder:

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Sore throat.
Fever.
Feeling sick.
Painful, blister-like lesions on the tongue, gums and inside of the cheeks.
Blistor-like lesions may appear on the tongue, inside the cheeks or the gum.
Rashes on the body may appear. The areas may be the palms, soles or buttocks. The rash may not be itchy but it could have blisters. The color of the rash depends on the person's skin tone. It may be appear red, white, gray, or only show as tiny bumps.
A rash on the palms, soles and sometimes the buttocks. The rash is not itchy, but sometimes it has blisters. Depending on skin tone, the rash may appear red, white, gray, or only show as tiny bumps.
Infants and toddlers may be more fussy than usual and it is normal.
They may feel a loss in their appetite.

This viral infection does not have a definitive treatment. However, experts say that proper hygiene and precautionary measure may help. Avoid contacting infected people, wash your hands regularly, educate your child on these steps.