"Blisters Spread and Fingernails Fall Off"... Emergency Room Visit Due to Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease Transmitted to Son

Complaints of Pain Due to Adult Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease

Amid the outbreak of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) primarily among children aged 0 to 6, cases of adults contracting HFMD and suffering from severe pain are increasing.

On the 29th, the YouTube channel 'RejuLike' uploaded a video titled "Dad caught HFMD from his son, the most painful adult HFMD ever." This channel is run by influencer couple Yoo Hye-ju and Jo Jeong-yeon.

Photo by YouTube channel RejuLike capture.

In the video, Mr. Jo said, "When I woke up in the morning, I was drenched in cold sweat, had a fever, and an unbearable headache. When I took my temperature, it was over 38 degrees Celsius." He added, "I took medicine and slept, but the fever didn’t go down, so I got a checkup and found out I also had HFMD."

He continued, "This is the most painful illness I have ever had," and said, "It’s the third day of HFMD, and last night I couldn’t sleep because of the pain. But today, it’s even worse." Mr. Jo also showed his soles covered with blisters and warned, "Families with babies should be careful."

Mr. Jo, who was suffering from extreme pain, was eventually taken to the emergency room. However, the only treatment the hospital could provide was a painkiller injection. After the video was released, he urged, "(Currently) five toenails have already fallen off, and five fingernails are loose and about to fall off. Everyone should be careful of HFMD."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

HFMD, a contagious disease, is characterized by blisters and ulcers in the mouth and vesicular rashes on the hands and feet. It is mainly caused by Coxsackie virus and Enterovirus 71, and there is no vaccine. Even if someone has had HFMD before, they can get it again.

The main routes of infection include fecal-oral transmission through hands, droplet infection from respiratory secretions such as saliva, sputum, and nasal mucus from infected patients. It mainly spreads among young children who have weaker personal hygiene and spend a lot of time in group settings.

Adults can also contract HFMD, but usually show mild symptoms. However, recently in Japan, the number of adult HFMD patients complaining of severe pain is increasing. According to the Tokyo Shimbun, from July 15 to 21, the number of HFMD patients per medical institution was 13.94, the highest in the past 10 years. A woman in her 30s who said she caught it from her 5-year-old son described her suffering as "feeling like spikes are stuck all over the soles of my feet."

To prevent HFMD, thorough personal hygiene such as proper handwashing is essential. Also, since HFMD is highly contagious, it is advisable to isolate infected individuals at home to prevent spreading the infection to others.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.