How hand, foot and mouth disease is spread and prevented

Hand, foot and mouth disease spreads through three main ways: droplet transmission, direct contact and transmission through contaminants. The key to prevention is to maintain good personal hygiene, pay attention to environmental disinfection and enhance the body's immunity.

1. Communication method

Hand, foot and mouth disease is a viral infection caused by enterovirus. The most common transmission routes include the following three categories:

1. Droplet transmission: Virus droplets released when the patient coughs or sneezes are inhaled by others and can cause infection, especially in crowded and closed environments such as kindergartens or nurseries.

2. Transmission through direct contact: contact with the patient's saliva, herpes fluid or excretions such as feces, entering the body through the oral, nasal or eye mucosa.

3. Transmission through contaminants: Toys, baby bottles, tableware and other daily items are contaminated by the saliva or excrement of an infected person. If you do not wash your hands after touching them and then touch your mouth and nose, the virus can easily spread.

2. How to prevent

1. Strengthen personal hygiene: wash your hands thoroughly with running water and soap before meals, after defecation, and after going out and coming home, and avoid sharing personal items such as syringes, towels, and toys with patients.

2 Pay attention to environmental disinfection: Kindergarten families need to regularly use chlorine-containing disinfectants to clean high-contact surfaces such as toys, tables and chairs, door handles, and keep the room ventilated to prevent the virus from staying in the air for a long time.

3. Improve immunity: Ensure that children have a balanced diet, eat more fresh fruits and vegetables containing vitamin C, and strengthen exercise, such as outdoor exercise in the morning, to improve the body's immune ability. During the peak period of the epidemic, try to avoid going to crowded places, such as children's playgrounds, shopping malls, etc.

Prevention of hand, foot and mouth disease requires multi-pronged efforts including personal hygiene, environmental cleaning and immune enhancement. Parents need to pay close attention to their children's health and seek medical attention in a timely manner if they find any suspected symptoms such as fever, rash, and oral ulcers to prevent the spread and worsening of the disease.