Māuiuitanga o te ringa, te waewae me te waha Hand, foot and mouth disease

You can catch hand, foot and mouth disease from contact with an infected person's:

• coughing
• sneezing
• blisters
• mucus (sputum or phlegm)
• saliva
• poo (faeces).

Hand, foot and mouth disease appears most often in warm weather — usually in the summer or early autumn.

Hand, foot and mouth disease is usually mild and lasts 3 to 7 days. Not everyone gets symptoms. Some adults have no symptoms but can still spread the virus.

The first symptoms are usually:

• a fever
• a general feeling of being unwell
• a sore throat
• red spots on the tongue and mouth that develop into painful mouth ulcers.

A day or 2 later, red spots can appear on:

• your fingers
• the backs or palms of your hands
• the soles of your feet.

Sometimes the red spots can also appear on your bottom and groin. The spots may turn into small blisters. You can see pictures of the rash at DermNet.

Hand, foot and mouth disease — Dermnet (external link)

Hand, foot and mouth disease can be confused with:

• chickenpox (but the chickenpox rash is all over the body)
• cold sores in a child’s mouth.

Your usual doctor or healthcare provider can usually diagnose hand, foot and mouth disease by listening to your symptoms and looking at the rash.

If you are pregnant

The risk of infection during pregnancy is very low. If you are pregnant and do get hand, foot and mouth disease the risk of complications is also very low.

But if you catch the virus shortly before you give birth, the infection can be passed on to your pēpi (baby). Most babies born with hand, foot and mouth disease have only mild symptoms.

In very rare cases it is possible that catching hand, foot and mouth disease during pregnancy may result in miscarriage or could affect how your pēpi develops. If you have contact with hand, foot and mouth disease while you are pregnant, or if you develop any kind of rash, see your doctor or midwife.

Hand, foot and mouth disease can be unpleasant, but it will usually clear up by itself within 7 to 10 days. There is no medicine to treat hand, foot and mouth disease.

To relieve the symptoms, you can take paracetamol or ibuprofen to help reduce a fever. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for advice.

Drink plenty of fluids. If you have a sore mouth, you might prefer eating plain, soft food that does not need lots of chewing.

When to get medical advice

You should take your tamaiti (child) to a doctor or healthcare provider if they:

• are not drinking
• are weeing (passing urine) less than usual
• have a high fever over 39°C, or for any fever in pepi (babies) less than 3 months old
• seem very sleepy.

You should see a doctor if you are pregnant and develop a rash.

If you are not sure what to do, call Healthline on 0800 611 116

You can pass the infection to others for 7 to 10 days from the start of the illness. To reduce the risk of spreading the infection:

• wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water
• avoid close contact with people, such as kissing, hugging and sharing toys or eating utensils
• keep your tamaiti (child) home from childcare or school until their fever has gone and their blisters have dried.

If your tamaiti only has a few blisters on their hands or feet, and none in their mouth, they can attend childcare or school so long as they feel well and you can cover the blisters.