What is dangerous foot and mouth disease and how to avoid it

Most of us are familiar with the word «foot-and-mouth disease» from the cinema, where the heroes of Gaidai's comedy were vaccinated against foot and mouth disease in connection with the alleged epidemic. In fact, this infectious disease today flares up quite rarely and poses a serious threat only if small children are infected with this virus. Those who spend a lot of time surrounded by ungulates, which are the natural carrier of the virus, are at risk of becoming infected with foot and mouth disease. However, if sanitary standards and even simple personal hygiene are observed, foot-and-mouth disease infection can be prevented.

Symptoms of foot-and-mouth disease infection and transmission routes

The causative agent of foot-and-mouth disease has an affinity for human skin epithelial cells  and mucous membranes, therefore, when spreading, it most often affects – mouth, lips, nose, eyes and sometimes – the skin of the extremities, mainly the hands. FMD vectors are wild and domestic ungulates. The virus can stay on the hair of a horse or cow for quite a long time, and be transmitted to humans through milk and meat.

The disease starts acutely, with a sharp chill  and rise in temperature, special signs – aches in the lower back, in the limbs. Further, by the end of the first day, the clinical picture is supplemented by a burning sensation in the mouth & nbsp; and very abundant salivation, manifestations of conjunctivitis, aphthous stomatitis. Small vesicles with unclear contents protrude at the tip of the tongue, are in the interdigital spaces and near the nails. Occasionally it happens that rashes on the extremities are not accompanied by inflammation of the mucous membrane.

The tongue with foot-and-mouth disease looks swollen, the lips are swollen, inflammation of the mucous membrane is observed in the nose. Regional lymph nodes enlarge and become painful. If the inflammation of the mucosa is massive, with multiple erosions, the patient may complain of pain when talking and swallowing. After about 5 days, the symptoms of foot and mouth disease subside, recovery occurs around the end of the second week.

Children may experience diarrhea, abdominal pain, erosions on the skin often occupy large areas, the disease can drag on for a month, and with the reappearance of blisters on the skin and mucous membranes. Complications for foot-and-mouth disease are not typical and can only occur when a secondary bacterial infection is attached. After the illness, specific immunity is formed, but it is not stable, not more than a year and a half.

FMD treatment, prognosis and disease prevention

FMD is usually treated symptomatically. If necessary, antipyretic, analgesic drugs are used, according to indications, detoxification agents, antibiotics, physiotherapy procedures are prescribed. Local treatment is aimed at alleviating the symptoms of the disease, a sparing diet with semi-liquid lukewarm food is shown.

Prognosis of the disease is usually favorable. A complicated course with possible severe outcomes occurs only in very young children. Preventive measures against infection with foot and mouth disease usually become personal hygiene, including in relation to the thermal processing of products before eating them.