How adults can contract the hand, foot-and-mouth disease



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The star launcher Mets Noah Syndergaard was placed on the list of disabled people with foot-and-mouth disease.

The virus, which usually affects children under 5, has infected the 25-year-old athlete, who would have caught him during a stay in a children's baseball camp at New Jersey during the all-star break last week.

"Adults can pbad it to adults. It is much more common in children, "says Dr. Gail Shust, who specializes in pediatric infectious diseases at NYU Langone Health

The viral infection causes small painful lesions in the back of the throat, fever and bumps or flat spots on the hands and feet. Due to the intense pain of mouth sores, many people, especially children, are unable to drink or eat, and may be hospitalized for dehydration.

Like the flu, there is no cure – rest, drink plenty of fluids and take over-the-counter painkillers like Advil to manage the symptoms. "For the vast majority of people, it takes place in about a week," says Shust.

"There are occasions when it can cause a more serious infection and affect the central nervous system," she adds. "But that's the exception and not the rule."

FMD can spread through close personal contact with an infected person, such as a hug, or being exposed to infected excrement, usually because of a bad hand washing, or respiratory secretions, such as sneezing or cough.

In terms of prevention, Shust insists on hand hygiene: Wash frequently and sneeze into a tissue or elbow.

"It's the first thing to do," she says. "We have no vaccine for that."

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