Can you swim with hfmd

The cold weather is over, along with those winter viruses, hurrah! But not so fast- you may still need to keep an eye out for hand, foot and mouth disease HFMD , a viral infection most common in the summer and fall. HFMD is caused by the Coxsackie virus. It is most often seen in infants and children younger than 10 years of age. You may also see a rash, often with blisters on the hands and soles of the feet.

Your child may experience headaches and loss of appetite, too. Hand, foot and mouth disease HFMD is a common illness in the summer months, predominantly found in infants and children under the age of 10, but one that can also affect teens and adults. It is caused by a family of viruses known as the Coxsackie virus. HFMD can produce a wide variety of symptoms, including mild flu-like symptoms such as fever, head and muscle aches, sore throat, fatigue, and poor appetite.

The fever usually lasts anywhere from 24 hours to days. One or two days after the fever begins, small red spots begin to appear in the mouth, throat, palms of the hands, and soles of the feet. These spots develop into blisters and eventually into painful ulcers, which resolve within a few days without any scarring. Hand, foot, and mouth disease is caused by viruses.

A person infected with one of these viruses is contagious, which means that they can pass the virus to other people. People with hand, foot, and mouth disease are usually most contagious during the first week that they are sick. People can sometimes spread the virus to others for days or weeks after symptoms go away or if they have no symptoms at all.

Rarely, you can also get the viruses by swallowing recreational water, such as water in swimming pools. This can happen if the water is not properly treated with chlorine and becomes contaminated with feces from a person who has hand, foot, and mouth disease. Hand, foot, and mouth disease is caused by viruses that belong to the Enterovirus family. Animals such as cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats can get foot and mouth disease or hoof-and-mouth disease , which is different than hand, foot, and mouth disease.

Visit the USDA website to learn more about foot and mouth disease external icon. When and How to Wash Your Hands.