How easy is it to pass along the hand-foot-mouth virus? My 18 month old grandson just returned to daycare today after recovering but now my daughter has it very bad and is too sick to take care of him tomorrow. She is wanting me to babysit at my house. Can I catch it from her handling the baby s things, or only through direct contact with her. I m concerned because I provide nursing care for my 89 year old father at his house and cannot afford to get sick for fear of passing it to him.
Hello, Welcome to Chat Doctor, Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a disease caused by intestinal viruses like Coxsackievirus and Retrovirus.HFMD is a common and highly contagious viral infection that typically causes a mild febrile illness followed by a maculopapular rash that may involve the skin of the hands, feet, and oral cavity. This is not transmitted by the animals. As this is a viral disease which gets better on its own and there is no specific curative treatment for hand, foot and mouth disease. Pain from the sores can be reduced with the use of analgesic medications and this can last for 1 week. Thank you.