Symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease

The symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease usually develop between three and five days after being exposed to the infection.

The first symptoms may include:

• a high temperature (fever),usuallyaround 38-39C (100.4-102.2F)
• a general sense of feeling unwell
• loss of appetite
• Cough
• abdominal (tummy)pain
• a sore throat and mouth

Mouth ulcers

After one or two days, red spots appear on the tongue and inside the mouth.

These quickly develop into larger yellow-grey mouth ulcers with red edges.

The ulcers can be painful and make eating, drinking and swallowing difficult. They should pass within a week.

Spotty rash and blisters

Soon after the mouth ulcers appear, you'll probably notice a rash made up of small, raised red spots on the skin.

These typically develop on the fingers, the backs or palms of the hand, the soles of the feet, and occasionally on the buttocks and groin.

The spotsmay then turn into small blisters with a grey centre.

Thespots and blisters can sometimes beitchy or uncomfortable and typicallylast up to 10days.