Symptoms and Treatment for Coxsackievirus Mostly Found in Children

Coxsackieviruses are the major cause of hand-foot-and-mouth syndrome; this illness is common in children around the world. This illness mainly occurs in the summer and early fall. This illness results in painful blisters in the mouth, on the palms and fingers of the hand, and on the soles of the feet. Small gray/white vesicles appear on the hands, feet, and buttocks with small red or white ulcers in the mouth. The child generally feels sick and lethargic with fever. These blisters are filled with an active virus and last for seven to ten days. Most common sickness caused by coxsackievirus is a nonspecific febrile illness. As children will experience a fever that last 3 days, which the fever leaves for two or three days and then returns. The infection is spread by direct contact with nose and throat secretions, by the stool of an infected person, and from sneezing and coughing.

Symptoms include: headache, some children vomit, loose stools, sore throats, and sometimes muscle pains, especially in the legs. This illness is called nonspecific due to the illness may not show up through a blood test or physical exam. This illness can usually last twenty-four hours or even up to six days, but not always.

These infections can be extremely serious and may cause diabetes, croup, hepatitis, encephalitis, arthritis, meningitis, or even pneumonia. This illness may also cause temporary or permanent paralysis, and viral myocarditis. Myocarditis is inflammation or degeneration of the heart muscle, which the muscles in the walls of the heart become infected. When coxsackievirus causes myocarditis, the fatality rate is high. Coxsackievirus was found to be the cause in a group of SIDS cases. This disease is self-limiting and within ten days a rise in the bodies serum levels eliminates the virus.

Treatment for the coxsackievirus includes: cold drinks, sherbet, plenty of clear fluids and soft foods. Avoid citrus, spicy or salty foods or foods that need a lot of chewing. Rinse the mouth after meals with warm water. Acetaminophen may be given for a few days if the fever is above 102 F. Prevention requires good hand washing; dispose of used tissues in plastic bags and good personal hygiene, especially after changing a child's diaper and using the toilet. Symptomic treatment is used with hand, foot, and mouth such as topical soothing balms or lignocaine injections reduce discomfort in the mouth.

If your child has gay/white blisters on his or her fingers and palms, or white/red blisters in his or her mouth, it is best to seek their pediatrician to find out what these blisters may be.