Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease: What Causes It, How It Spreads, and When It's Contagious

Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is caused by several enteroviruses and spreads easily from person to person. You catch it when the virus gets into your eyes, nose or mouth.

The viruses behind it

More: CDC on non-polio enteroviruses.

How it spreads

In the United States, HFMD spreads mostly in summer and fall, but you can catch it any time of year, and it moves fast through schools and day care centers. You can get it from:

• droplets carrying virus when a sick person coughs, sneezes or talks
• touching an infected person or other close contact — kissing, hugging, sharing cups or utensils
• poop from an infected person — changing diapers, for example — and then touching your eyes, nose or mouth
• surfaces and objects with virus on them, such as doorknobs or toys, and then touching your face

Rarely, people catch it by swallowing water in pools that aren't properly chlorinated and have been contaminated with the poop of someone with HFMD. See CDC on preventing HFMD.

When it's contagious

People are usually most contagious in the first week of illness — but they can pass the virus on for days or weeks after symptoms fade, and even if they never had symptoms. The virus is found in a sick person's:

• nose and throat secretions — saliva, drool, nasal mucus
• blister fluid
• poop

Washing your hands the right way at the right times helps.

Not foot-and-mouth disease

HFMD is often confused with foot-and-mouth disease (or hoof-and-mouth disease), a different illness of cattle, sheep, goats and pigs. People don't get the animal disease, and animals don't get HFMD — cattle can neither catch nor spread it. For the animal disease, see USDA APHIS.

Sources

Based on "HFMD: Causes and How It Spreads," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; a work of the United States government in the public domain.