How is Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease Contracted?

Question

How is Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease Contracted?

Answer

Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease is mainly caused by enteroviruses that are transmitted through close contact with infected individuals. The disease has an incubation period, so if a baby contracts Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease after a day at kindergarten, it doesn’t necessarily mean they were infected at the kindergarten. It’s possible that the child was already a carrier of the Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease virus before attending kindergarten, but had not yet become ill.