What Is Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease?
Reviewed: Dr. Gromatzky
3. Causes
The virus responsible for the disease is the coxsackievirus A16 virus. The second most common cause for the disease is the enterovirus 71. There are also a number of other viruses that can cause the disease, albeit less frequently. Regardless of the virus behind it, hand, foot, and mouth disease is spread from person to person.
The main method of transmission is through ingesting the virus through infested bodily fluids. It tends to be common particularly in young children because they will frequently put their hands in their mouths. The patient is at their most contagious during the first week of the disease, and it might be weeks after their symptoms clear up that they stop being contagious.
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