Hand foot and mouth disease pictures on buttocks

Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease is present all year round in Singapore with seasonal outbreaks every year. Outbreaks do occur in childcare centres, kindergartens and schools. Although usually a mild disease, it has been associated with fatalities usually due to complications involving the heart and nervous system (e.g. encephalitis).

Table of Contents Show

How it is Spread
Signs and Symptoms
Complications
Screening and Diagnosis
Keeping Others Safe
Advice for Parents
Can You Get Hand Foot and Mouth on buttocks?
Can you get foot and mouth on your bum?
What does a severe case of hand foot and mouth look like?
Does hand Foot mouth cause bumps all over body?

Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease (HFMD) is caused by certain viruses. Among them, it is the EV71 virus that can give rise to serious complications.

(Courtesy of KK Women’s and Children’s hospital.)

HFMD became legally notifiable on 1 October 2000.

How it is Spread

HFMD is spread from person to person by direct contact with the nasal discharge, saliva, faeces and fluid from the rash of an infected person. Both adults and children can be affected, but young children below five years of age are particularly susceptible.

Related: Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease

Signs and Symptoms

A child with HFMD may suffer from some of the following symptoms:

Fever
Sore throat
Ulcers in the throat, mouth and tongue
Headache
Rash with vesicles (small blisters 3-7 mm) on hands, feet and diaper area.
The vesicles are typically on the palm side of the hands, the sole side of the feet and very characteristic in appearance. The rash may also be present on the buttocks, arms and legs.
Loss of appetite
Vomiting and/or diarrhoea

Complications

Severe ulcers in the mouth can be very painful and this may interfere with intake of food and drink resulting in dehydration. Dehydration may also be caused by persistent vomiting/diarrhoea coupled with a reduced fluid intake.

Complications such as brain, lung or heart infections may occur occasionally, usually due to the EV 71 virus and can be serious. Some signs and symptoms of complications include:

Severe headache, giddiness and neck stiffness
Disorientation, drowsiness and/or irritability
Fits
Breathlessness or turning blue

Related: Skin Disorders in the Mouth/Lips

Screening and Diagnosis

Laboratory testing is available to isolate and identify the causative agent. However, testing is usually not necessary as diagnosis of HFMD is typically based on clinical grounds.

Related: Health Screening for Primary School

Treatment

There is no specific treatment for the infection other than symptomatic relief of symptoms. Treatment with antibiotics is not effective and is not indicated. If you suspect your child has HFMD, please bring him/her to see the family doctor.

Ease your child’s discomfort and help your child recover by:

Encouraging your child to drink plenty of fluids
Changing to a soft diet (e.g. porridge, pureed fruit) if the mouth ulcers are a problem
Giving medications as prescribed by the doctor, e.g. paracetamol syrup to relieve fever and pain
Ensuring your child gets plenty of rest by keeping him/her at home

Related: Why Are Clean Hands Important for Children

Keeping Others Safe

If your child has HFMD, please help to prevent the spread of HFMD to others by:

Keeping him home from school, kindergarten or childcare centre.
Keeping him away from all public places including restaurants, playgrounds and shopping centres.
Looking out for signs and symptoms in other family members, both children and the adults.
Keeping his toys, books, eating utensils, towels and clothes separate from others.
Informing the school, kindergarten or childcare centre as soon as possible. They can monitor other children closely and take additional precautions to prevent the spread of HFMD.
Keeping him at home until all the blisters have dried up and he has fully recovered, after the expiry of the medical certificate (MC) given by the family doctor.

Related: Keep Germs Away

Prevention

Advice for Parents

Help protect your children from HFMD. Teach them good hygiene practices like:

Washing your hands with soap before eating and after going to the toilet.
Covering your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.
Not sharing eating utensils.
Ensuring that toys or appliances that are contaminated by nasal or oral secretions are cleaned thoroughly before they are used again.
Putting on a face mask when feeling unwell.

In addition, do follow these four steps before sending your child to the childcare centre every day.

Take your child’s temperature (either orally or via the ear)
Look for mouth ulcers.
Ask your child to open his mouth and say “Ah”. Shine a torch in the mouth and look for ulcers on the tongue, inner sides of the mouth and on the lips.
Look for blisters on the hands.
Ask your child to hold out both hands and show his/her palms. Look for small pinkish/reddish bumps or tiny blisters with fluids. Then check for the same on the back of the hands.
Look for blisters on the feet.
Check for bumps/blisters on the upper part of the feet first then the soles.

Related: Blisters

If you suspect any of the above, DO NOT send your child to the centre. Take him/her to a family doctor for a thorough examination. If your child is diagnosed with HFMD, please keep him/her at home until fully recovered. Your child should return to the centre only after the expiry of the MC given by the family doctor when he/she is well.

Read these next:

Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease: Prevention and Protection
Hand, foot and mouth disease
Mouth Ulcers

Can You Get Hand Foot and Mouth on buttocks?

Your child can get a skin rash on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. It can also show up on the buttocks, legs, and arms. The rash usually is not itchy and looks like flat or slightly raised red spots, sometimes with blisters that have an area of redness at their base.

Can you get foot and mouth on your bum?

Spotty rash and blisters Soon after the mouth ulcers appear, you'll probably notice a rash made up of small, raised red spots on the skin. These typically develop on the fingers, the backs or palms of the hand, the soles of the feet, and occasionally on the buttocks and groin.

What does a severe case of hand foot and mouth look like?

The blisters caused by HFM are red with a small bubble of fluid on top. They often peel, leaving an ulcer, which is a sore with a reddish base. The soles of the feet and the palms of the hands may have a rash that can look like flat red spots or red blisters.

Does hand Foot mouth cause bumps all over body?

“Much like its name suggests, hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is caused by a contagious virus that classically affects your hands, feet, and mouth, but can actually cause a bumpy or blistery rash all over your body,” stated Lori Noble, MD, physician at Spruce Internal Medicine.