Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease (Coxsackie A) in the Child Care Setting

The ABC's of Safe and Healthy Child Care

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Hand-foot-and-mouth disease can be spread when the virus present in the blisters is passed to another person. The virus can be passed through saliva from blisters in the mouth, through the fluid from blisters on the hands and feet, or through the infected person’s feces.

Outbreaks in child care facilities usually coincide with an increased number of cases in the community. If an outbreak occurs in the child care setting:

• Make sure that all children and adults use good handwashing technique.
• Do not exclude ill persons because exclusion may not prevent additional cases since the virus may be excreted for weeks after the symptoms have disappeared. Also, some persons excreting the virus may have no symptoms. However, some benefit may be gained by excluding children who have blisters in their mouths and drool or who have weeping lesions on their hands.