How long is hand, foot and mouth disease contagious?

Hand, foot and mouth disease is a viral illness known for its rashes, mouth sores, and slightly raised red spots or white blisters on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. These bumps also sometimes spread to other areas of the body such as the stomach, legs or buttocks.

Although its telltale rash is more common in children than adults, many people with hand, foot and mouth disease also experience “fever, abdominal pain and diarrhea,” says Dr. Vikash Oza, director of the pediatric dermatology at NYU Langone Health. .

Because it is a very common, uncomfortable and inconvenient illness, it can be helpful to know how the virus spreads – and how long a person who has it remains contagious.

How is hand, foot and mouth disease spread?

The first thing to understand is that hand, foot and mouth disease is a highly contagious and easily spread disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The public health agency notes that the virus is generally spread through direct contact with fecal matter, through contact with objects or surfaces that have the virus on them, then through contact with the eyes, nose or mouth, and through close personal contact with another person who has the disease. Such interactions might include hugging, kissing, talking, making each other sneeze or cough, says Dr. Kellie Kruger, a board-certified physician in internal medicine and pediatrics at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona.

The virus typically spreads at home and in daycares or schools when practices such as washing hands or avoiding putting fingers in the mouth are easily forgotten and many children come into contact with other children potentially infected. “That’s why we often hear about school outbreaks,” says Oza.

How long is hand, foot and mouth disease contagious?

Regardless of where you contracted the disease, it is important to know how long you should be careful of others. The CDC notes that people are most contagious during the first week they are sick, but it is possible to spread the virus over longer periods of time. “The infected person is likely also contagious until all skin blisters have healed,” says Oza, but notes that even then the person may continue “to shed the virus through the stool for up to 6 weeks “.

It is also important to note that a person can become infected even before symptoms begin to appear. “The incubation period is typically 3 to 5 days, meaning a person is typically exposed to the virus 3 to 5 days before developing symptoms,” says Kruger.

When are you no longer contagious for hand, foot and mouth syndrome?

We are generally considered to be out of the woods about once a week since the first symptoms appeared. And after the worst blisters or rashes have gone away. This means monitoring “any previous blisters and open sores on the skin for scabbing and healing,” says Oza.

More:Hand, foot and mouth disease can be painful and bothersome. Here’s what it is.

Kruger says it’s especially important to make sure you don’t have a fever and are able to eat “without significant pain.” Even then, she adds, “it’s important to continue strict hand washing once you feel better, as the virus may still be present after clinical symptoms have subsided.”