Hand, foot and mouth disease – the “other” sore throat

You’ve got a sore throat, but your Covid test is negative. So is your flu test. And so is your strep test. What the heck is it?

While there are many viruses that cause sore throat, Coxsackievirus tends to be overlooked as a cause of sore throat in adults. Coxsackievirus is the virus that causes Hand Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD), which can produce painful sore throat, fever, and sometimes blister-like lesions on the hands and feet. 

HFMD can affect any person of any age, but is very common among children and spreads easily to their caregivers.

Although Hand Foot and Mouth Disease usually causes mild infection, the virus usually manifests with distinctive sores inside the throat that can make drinking, eating and swallowing very painful.

Analgesic mouthwashes, lozenges and even lidocaine lollipops can be used to reduce the discomfort associated with Hand Foot and Mouth Disease.

Keep in mind that HFMD is contagious and implement precautions to avoid spreading it to others. According to the Centers for Disease Control, HFMD can be spread in the following ways:

• Contact with droplets that have virus particles after a sick person coughs, sneezes, or talks.
• Touching an infected person or making other close contact, like kissing, hugging, or sharing cups or eating utensils.
• Touching an infected person's poop, such as changing diapers, then touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.
• Touching objects and surfaces that have the virus on them, like doorknobs or toys, then touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.

See https://www.cdc.gov/hand-foot-mouth for more information.