Health expert’s warning over spread of hand, foot and mouth disease as schools return

Parents, carers and teachers are urged to be on high alert

Parents, carers and teachers have been warned to be on high alert for hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) as school pupils across Northern Ireland head back to classrooms for the 2025/2026 academic year.

Hand, foot and mouth disease is a common childhood illness that can also affect adults. It usually gets better on its own in 7 to 10 days. It’s not the same as foot and mouth disease that affects farm animals.

Hand, foot and mouth disease is easily passed on to other people. It’s spread in coughs, sneezes, faeces and the fluid in the blisters.

READ MORE: Public Health Agency lists 17 reasons you should keep your child off schoolREAD MORE: The 18 Covid symptoms everyone in Northern Ireland must know

According to the NHS, you can get it more than once. You can start spreading it from a few days before you have any symptoms, but you’re most likely to spread it to others in the first 5 days after symptoms start.

As searches for ‘symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease’ skyrocket, Dr Pallavi Bradshaw, Deputy Chief Medical Officer at AXA Health insurance, has outlined five key symptoms to look out for, as well as ways to reduce the highly contagious infection.

“With children returning to classrooms, it’s likely the UK will see a spike in common infections. However, this year, the surge in searches around HFMD suggests people are worried about cases rising,” says Dr Bradshaw.

“The best defence is recognising symptoms early and taking preventative measures to protect school communities. Spread through coughs, sneezes, faecal matter, and bodily fluid such as saliva or fluid from blisters, hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a highly contagious viral infection common amongst infants and school-aged children.”

In the past month, UK searches for ‘hand, foot and mouth disease rash’ have soared by 411%, however, Dr Bradshaw reveals that the distinctive rash is often one of the later symptoms of HFMD to develop.

“Symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease often progress in stages, therefore, being aware of the early symptoms of HFMD helps minimise the spread of infection.”

Stage one symptoms:

• Fever – A high temperature or a fever is often one of the earliest symptoms of HFMD to develop. Often accompanied by fatigue, general irritability and chills, a fever is a common sign that the body is fighting off the virus.
• Sore throat – HFMD can often cause mild discomfort to the throat, causing increased difficulty and often pain when swallowing and eating.
• Decreased appetite – A decrease in appetite is a common symptom of HFMD and is often caused by discomfort in the throat and mouth. It is essential to maintain fluid levels to not only soothe the throat but also reduce the risk of dehydration.

Stage two symptoms:

• Mouth sores and ulcers – Mouth sores and ulcers develop in the mouth and throat as the virus attacks the cells lining the inside of the mouth. This can cause inflammation and damage to the tissue, leading to painful sores and ulcers.
• A rash on the hands and feet – A rash, raised red spots or blisters on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet is one of the most noticeable symptoms of HFMD; however, it’s often one of the later symptoms to develop.

Dr Bradshaw added: “If your child starts to develop any symptoms of HFMD and begins feeling unwell, it is essential to keep them out of school and nursery environments for a minimum of five days until their symptoms subside and they begin feeling better.

“Symptoms of HFMD are often mild and usually start to subside without treatment within seven to ten days. However, if symptoms are continuing and your child is not feeling better within 10 days, seek medical advice from your local GP.”

In terms of top precautions if you come into contact with the contagious infection, Dr Bradshaw has detailed five ways to reduce the spread of hand, foot and mouth disease:

1. Washing hands with warm water and soap after using the bathroom and coughing or sneezing, as well as before eating.
2. Encourage children to catch coughs and sneeze by covering their mouths and noses.
3. Regularly disinfect high-touch points such as toys, door handles and light switches, to reduce the risk of infection.
4. Wash your child’s clothes, bedding and towels on a high temperature cycle of either 60°C or the highest setting the clothing can tolerate
5. Avoid sharing personal items such as utensils, water bottles, drinking cups and clothing items, as they can easily transmit viruses through saliva or contact with the skin.

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