A Simple Guide to Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease

A Simple Guide to Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease
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What is Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease?
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Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) is an infectious disease usually occurring in children which causes ulcers in the mouth and maculopapular rashes(sometimes blisters) on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.
Because of the locations of the lesions, the illness is thus called Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease.

What causes Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease?
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Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease is caused by the Coxsackie virus and Enterovirus 71.
Of the 2 viruses the enterovirus is more dangerous with some fatalities in severe cases.
Fatalities are usually due to complications involving the heart and nervous system.
It is usually a mild illness with the rash healing in 5 to 7 days.

How is Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease spread?
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HFMD is usually spread through the direct contact with the nasal discharge, saliva, faeces and fluid from the rash of an infected person.

Both adults and children can be affected.

Young children below five years are more prone to the infection.

What are the Symptoms of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease?
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The symptoms usually start after a prodromal peroid of 3 days with:

1.fever

2.sore throat

3.ulcers in the throat, mouth and tongue

4.rash with vesicles (small blisters-- 3-7 mm) on hands, feet and buttock area.
The rash are typically on the palm side of the hands, the sole side of the feet and very characteristic (maculopapular then vesicle) in appearance.

5.loss of appetite

6.headache and bodyaches in the older child or adult

What is the Treatment of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease?
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There is no specific cure for an viral infection other than symptomatic relief of symptoms.

Antibiotics is not effective and is not indicated.
Paracetamol can given to treat fever.

Drinking lots of water and fluids is important even though sometimes swallowing may be painful.
More fluid is required when a fever is present.

Rinsing of mouth with salt water may soothe the pain of mouth ulcers.

A soft or liquid diet should be given rather than solid food.

Avoid sour fruits or their juices which can cause pain to the mouth ulcers.

Rest and adequate sleep is also important in the child's recovery.

Parents should also be alert to any change in their child's normal behaviour, e.g. irritation and sleepiness.
Should they refuse to eat or drink, have persistent vomiting or drowsiness, parents should bring their child immediately to hospital.

What is the Prevention for Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease?
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All infected children should be kept away from crowded public places (such as schools, preschools, play groups, markets and public transport).

All family members should follow good hygiene practices, including frequent hand washing, to limit the spread of the infection.

A Single Attack usually gives lifelong Immunity!

A Simple Guide to Rubella

A Simple Guide to Rubella
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What is Rubella?
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Rubella is a infectious viral disease characterised by fever, generalised rash and swollen glands behind the ears and in the neck.
It can be spread through the air or by contact.
It can also be transmitted to a foetus by a mother with an active infection.
The disease is usually mild and may even go unnoticed. It is also called German Measles.

What are the Symptoms of Rubella?
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Most children have few symptoms.
Adults may experience a prodrome (warning symptom) of a fever, headache, malaise, runny nose, and inflamed eyes, that lasts from 1 to 5 days before the rash appears.

A person can transmit the disease from 1 week before the onset of the rash until 1 week after the rash disappears.

The child with rubella may not look or act sick, but symptoms may include:
1. low-grade fever

2.swollen glands behind the ears and at the back and sides of the neck.

3.Loss of appetite, irritability, loss of interest in personal care.

4.Rash (maculopapiular) which appears on the face and torso and spreads to the arms and legs, lasting 3 to 5 days.

5.Rarely joint pain and arthritis (more common in adult women).

Lifelong immunity to the disease follows infection.

What is the danger of Rubella?
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The disease is potentially dangerous because it is able to produce defects in a developing foetus if the mother is infected during early pregnancy.
About 10 to 15% of women in their childbearing years are susceptible to infection.

Congenital rubella syndrome occurs in 25% or more of infants born to women who acquired rubella during the first trimester of pregnancy.
Defects may occur in an infected foetus and include deafness, cataracts, microcephaly, mental retardation, congenital heart defects, and other defects.
A miscarriage or stillbirth may occur.
Defects are rare if the infection occurs after the 20th week of pregnancy.
Risk factors include lack of immunisation and exposure to an active case of rubella.

What is the Treatment of Rubella?
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The infected child should stay at home while sick or up to a week after the rash disappears.
There is no cure for Rubella.
Treatment of a child with rubella is usually symptomatic .

Keep your child quiet, especially if she has a fever.
Children should be kept at home while any rash is visible and for a week thereafter.
Avoid scratching the rash.
Apply Calamine lotion or give the child some antihistamine to stop the itch.
Cool sponging will help relieve fever and discomfort from a rash.
An acetaminophen-based pain reliever may also help.

If you are pregnant and are exposed to rubella, you should contact your doctor immediately.
The risk of birth defects is higher the earlier the exposure occurred in your pregnancy.
In some cases, your doctor may advise you to consider a therapeutic termination of your pregnancy.

How do you Prevent Rubella?
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Two doses of the MMR vaccine are recommended for children.
The MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine) is now given at 15 months, with a booster at the age of 12.

If your child has rubella, notify any at-risk individuals who have had contact with your child during the illness and up to 10 days before symptoms appeared, so they can seek appropriate care.

Pregnancy Concerns
If you are pregnant, and uncertain of your immunity to rubella, and suspect you have been exposed, contact your doctor immediately. There is a risk the virus can be passed to your unborn child.

If any household member is pregnant and there is any question of her not being immune, your doctor will recommend delaying immunisation of your children to prevent exposing the mother-to-be to the live, though weakened, virus in the vaccine.

At least three months before trying to become pregnant, a woman should have a blood test to see if the rubella antibodies are present.
If antibodies are not present, she should be immunised or reimmunised.