Hand Foot and Mouth.
This is the bug of the week! The official name of the virus causing this unpleasant malady is Coxsackievirus.
So what is it? Hand foot and mouth (coxsackievirus) is a very common virus that makes its appearance every spring and summer. It is spread through saliva, so little kids who like to put toys in their mouths or touch things and then put their fingers or thumbs in their mouths are the most susceptible. Luckily, most adults are immune.
While the name sounds scary, the disease is not. It causes a sore throat with ulcers (like canker sores) scattered in the back of the throat or on the tongue. Some children also get a rash on the hands, feet, and sometimes even around the anus. The rash may look like tiny flat, red dots. Or, there may be small blisters that look like ant bites. The rash around the anus may have a raised, pimply appearance. Perhaps it should be called hand, foot, mouth, and hiney. And, kids may spike a fever at the beginning of the infection as they do with most viral illnesses.
You might worry when this infection shows up because fever is often the only obvious sign of illness (unless you look in the back of your child’s throat with a flashlight or your child has a rash). If you can’t tell what is going on when your child is feverish, it is always a good idea to check in with your child’s doc.
Like other viruses, there is no medication to make the infection go away any sooner. But, there are a few things you can do to comfort your child while he is going through the illness.
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