How Long Is Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease Contagious?
Key takeaways:
Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a contagious viral illness that causes fever, sore throat, and a blistering rash.
People are most contagious with HFMD during the first week of illness. But it’s possible to shed the viruses that cause HFMD for weeks.
People can return to work, school, and day care once their fever resolves and blisters scab over.
Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a highly contagious viral infection that causes fever, a blistering rash, and painful sores inside of the mouth. The viruses that cause HFMD are most active in the summer months and early fall.
Young children are most likely to get sick with the illness. But adults can get HFMD too, especially if they live or work with young children.
The viruses that cause HFMD can quickly spread through homes, schools, and workplaces. Knowing how long HFMD is contagious can help limit the spread of these viruses and keep you and your family from getting sick.
How long is hand, foot, and mouth disease contagious?
Hand, foot, and mouth disease can be contagious for several weeks.
One of the reasons HFMD spreads so easily is that people become contagious even before they know they’re sick.
Another reason the illness is so contagious is that is can spread from person to person in several ways:
Direct contact: People with HFMD develop a blistering rash. Viruses live inside those blisters. So if someone touches another person’s blisters, they can pick up the viruses. It takes about a week for the blisters to scab over. Once the rash has scabbed, the viruses can’t spread this way anymore.
Droplets: The viruses can spread through respiratory droplets. Anytime someone with HFMD coughs, sneezes, or talks, they can spread the viruses into the air. Then another person can breathe in the droplets and get sick. People can spread the viruses this way for up to 3 weeks, even if they’re already feeling better.
Feces (poop): The viruses can also live inside a person’s poop. People can come in contact with the viruses during diaper changes and bathing. People can shed the viruses in their poop for several weeks, even if they’re already feeling better.
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Since people can spread HFMD before they feel sick and after they feel better, the illness has many opportunities to pass from one person to the next.
When are people with hand, foot, and mouth disease most contagious?
People with HFMD are most contagious during the first week of their illness.
So even though they can spread the illness for weeks, the risk of passing the viruses to others becomes much smaller after a week.
When can you return to work or school if you have hand, foot, and mouth disease?
Even though there’s a risk of spreading the virus for weeks, you don’t have to isolate yourself for all that time. In general, you can return to work if:
You no longer have a fever.
The blistering rash has completely scabbed over.
You feel well enough to participate in their usual activities.
It takes about a week for this to happen. Some schools or day cares may have additional rules about when it’s safe to return.
According to Dr. Brian Clista, a board-certified pediatrician and GoodRx contributor, “Most kids will recover in about a week, give or take a few days.” He adds that most day cares let kids return when:
They have not had a fever for 24 hours, without the use of medication to reduce a fever.
Their blisters have healed.
They can drink liquids.
How can you prevent transmission of hand, foot, and mouth disease?
You can help stop the spread of HFMD and other viral illnesses by following these steps:
Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze. If possible, teach your children to do the same.
Wash your hands. This is especially important after coughing, sneezing, changing diapers, or using the bathroom.
Clean high-contact surfaces. Wipe down items that are frequently touched, like doorknobs and countertops. If your child is sick, clean toys after play.
Avoid sharing food, drinks, and personal items. The viruses that cause HFMD live in saliva, so try not to share utensils or cups.
If you’re taking care of a child with HFMD, Dr. Clista reminds us that, “Kids can shed viruses that cause HFMD in their stool for several weeks. Good hand-washing with diaper changes is the best way to prevent transmission.”
The bottom line
Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common viral illness that can easily spread from person to person. People with HFMD are most contagious for the first week they’re sick. But the viruses causing HFMD can remain in the stool for several weeks. Luckily, the symptoms of HFMD are usually mild, and it’s safe to return to work or school once the fever has resolved and blisters have scabbed over.
Why trust our experts?
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Hand, foot, and mouth disease.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). How hand, foot, and mouth disease spreads.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). Prevent hand, foot, and mouth disease.
HealthyChildren.org. (2016). Hand, foot and mouth disease: Parent FAQs.
Saguil, A., et al. (2019). Hand-foot-and-mouth disease: Rapid evidence review. American Family Physician.
Zhu, P., et al. (2023). Current status of hand-foot-and-mouth disease. Journal of Biomedical Science.
