Warning of complications of hand, foot and mouth disease

Quang Ngai province recorded 153 new cases of hand, foot and mouth disease in June 2025, with a cumulative total of 437 cases in the first 6 months of 2025, an increase of 41% over the same period in 2024. Hand, foot and mouth disease is highly contagious, causing many dangerous complications leading to death. The disease is common in children under 5 years old, and the number of cases will increase sharply and develop into an epidemic if there are no preventive measures from the beginning.

Warning of complications of hand, foot and mouth disease.

Hand, foot and mouth disease is caused by the Enterovirus group of intestinal viruses. There are two common groups of pathogens: CoxsackievirusA16 and Eterovirus71 (EV 71). Severe complications are often caused by EV 71. The disease is transmitted through the digestive tract, the pathogen is present in nasal discharge, throat, saliva, fluid from blisters on the skin and mucous membranes. Doctors recommend that families take their children to a medical facility for timely treatment to prevent dangerous complications.

Doctor Nguyen Mau Thach - Deputy Head of Tropical Pediatrics Department, Quang Ngai Province Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital said:

“Hand, foot and mouth disease causes damage to many organs. We often encounter some serious complications such as encephalitis, meningitis, encephalomyelitis, and can encounter more serious complications such as acute pulmonary edema, heart failure, high blood pressure. If these complications are not detected and treated promptly, they are life-threatening.”

Doctor Nguyen Mau Thach - Deputy Head of Tropical Pediatrics Department, Quang Ngai Provincial Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital.

Children with the disease will have skin and mucous membrane damage, with red ulcers or blisters in the mouth that are two to three millimeters in size. Because of the ulcers in the mouth, the child will have mouth pain, loss of appetite, refusal to breastfeed, and increased salivation. The rash appears within one to two days, in the form of blisters on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, knees, and buttocks. These rashes do not appear or appear on the skin and are opaque white. The rash rarely breaks open. When the rash disappears, the skin will darken and heal itself.

Doctor Nguyen Mau Thach added information:

“When taking care of your baby, ensure hygiene and handle feces to ensure standards to avoid spreading the disease. When your child is sick, parents need to pay attention to warning signs that the disease may progress to a more serious stage. For example, if the child is lethargic, fussy, or has a high fever, does not respond to antipyretics, or has a startle in their sleep, or if you see the child vomiting a lot or having difficulty breathing, you must take the child to the doctor immediately.”

Currently, there is no specific treatment for hand, foot and mouth disease, especially compared to other diseases because the complications of the disease can become severe after only a few hours. People should absolutely not be subjective, proactively monitor and recognize early warning signs of serious hand, foot and mouth disease.

Source: https://quangngaitv.vn/canh-bao-bien-chung-benh-tay-chan-mieng-6504155.html