Mumbai: Hand, foot, and mouth disease on rise in city

The HFMD boils on the leg of a very young child

Paediatricians in the city are witnessing an increase in cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD), a viral infection that causes rash/blisters on the hands and feet, sore throat among other symptoms that turn into painful ulcers. The disease has been infecting children and elderly immunocompromised people, for the last few weeks.

On average in the last few days, I have been examining three to four cases in paediatric age groups with Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) and an equal number of concerned parents consult me by sending photographs of their children. There is no treatment line for HFMD; the incubation period is around three to six days," said Dr Fazal Nabi, director of paediatrics at Jaslok hospital.

The virus also caused severe dehydration; (right) The infection usually disappears in a week

Nabi added, "Many parents confuse HFMD for chicken pox, due to the typical rash and fever. In the case of chickenpox, the patient usually gets blisters which spread from the centre of the body i.e. the chest, back etc, whereas in the case of HFMD, the peripheral part of the body i.e. fingers, palms, knee, buttocks, hands and joints gets boils, and in case of monkeypox, the definitional symptoms are diarrhoea and tummy discomfort." When asked about the admission of infants examined, Dr Nabi said "It is due to blisters on the tongue and throat that the infected child is not able to ingest food hence they become weak and at times dehydration sets in. Hospital observation is required only if the child remains sick, even after the regular timeframe of three to six days."

Changed trend

Dr B Srikanth, a consulting paediatrician from Navi Mumbai said, "Earlier, these cases were restricted to children below six years of age, but nowadays even kids between 6 and 12 years are getting affected. Another difference is that the blisters, unlike earlier, are bigger and quite painful." Dr Srikanth added, "Usually the problem disappears during short school vacations and reappear when schools reopen, as an infected child can spread it to others. I would advise parents not to send their infected children to school at least for a week once the child is diagnosed with HFMD."

‘My daughter lost two kg'

A couple from Mumbai Central was helpless when they would hear their eleven-month-old daughter Hareem cry inconsolably, every time they tried to feed her, in the last ten days. She even started drooling. The young parents rushed her to local paediatricians when they spotted blisters on her hands, feet and mouth.
"We had never heard of HFMD or witnessed such painful blisters. Also, the blisters come with high-grade fever, and other than giving 1.5 ml of Crocin, we could not do anything. My daughter weighed 11 kg and she has already lost two, in the last few days," said Sameer, a businessman.

Expert view

"A PCR test from mouth ulcers or stool confirms it, and the illness usually resolves within a week without treatment, though ice or anaesthetic syrup can ease discomfort. HFMD is unrelated to foot-and-mouth disease in cattle. The virus spreads through contact, and regular hand sanitisation helps prevent transmission," said Dr Subhash Hira, professor of global health at the University of Washington.

Other side

Dr Babita Kamlapurkar, joint director, health services, said, "I won't have any offhand information on HFMD. I will have to collect information from across districts, and then let you know"

36
No. of days it takes for symptoms to show

6-12
The age group of kids that are now getting infected