Last week I had to try to nurse Gavin back to health from a weird disease that I heard of but never really understood. Now I had a chance to experience it first hand. The illness is called "Hand, Foot, Mouth Disease"
Description
Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common viral illness of infants and children. The disease causes fever and blister-like eruptions in the mouth and/or a skin rash. HFMD is often confused with foot-and-mouth (also called hoof-and-mouth) disease, a disease of cattle, sheep, and swine; however, the two diseases are not related—they are caused by different viruses. Humans do not get the animal disease, and animals do not get the human disease.
Illness
* The disease usually begins with a fever, poor appetite, malaise (feeling vaguely unwell), and often with a sore throat.
* One or 2 days after fever onset, painful sores usually develop in the mouth. They begin as small red spots that blister and then often become ulcers. The sores are usually located on the tongue, gums, and inside of the cheeks.
* A non-itchy skin rash develops over 1–2 days. The rash has flat or raised red spots, sometimes with blisters. The rash is usually located on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet; it may also appear on the buttocks and/or genitalia.
* A person with HFMD may have only the rash or only the mouth sores.
Cause
* HFMD is caused by viruses that belong to the enterovirus genus (group). This group of viruses includes polioviruses, coxsackieviruses, echoviruses, and enteroviruses.
* Coxsackievirus A16 is the most common cause of HFMD, but other coxsackieviruses have been associated with the illness.
* Enteroviruses, including enterovirus 71, have also been associated with HFMD and with outbreaks of the disease.
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How It Is Spread
* Infection is spread from person to person by direct contact with infectious virus. Infectious virus is found in the nose and throat secretions, saliva, blister fluid, and stool of infected persons. The virus is most often spread by persons with unwashed, virus-contaminated hands and by contact with virus-contaminated surfaces.
* Infected persons are most contagious during the first week of the illness.
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The viruses that cause HFMD can remain in the body for weeks after a patient's symptoms have gone away. This means that the infected person can still pass the infection to other people even though he/she appears well. Also, some persons who are infected and excreting the virus, including most adults, may have no symptoms.
* HFMD is not transmitted to or from pets or other animals.
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We stayed in and watched GI Joe and Transformers 2 for like 20 times.. and it never gets old with Gavin and I. We would act out certain pats of each movies and that is how I know he will be a great actor or writer one day. Gavin has such creative imagination and facial/body expressions.
Sorry no pictures since my Blackberry was stolen
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