Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease: Symptoms and Remedies

2. How It Spreads

HFMD spreads easily. Coughing, sneezing, blister fluid, saliva, and stool can all pass it along, and so can touching a surface an infected person has touched. It moves quickly through daycare settings, where kids tend to put their hands and fingers in their mouths. Adults can spread the virus even when they feel fine, and children are contagious throughout their first week of infection. Even after symptoms clear up, the virus can stick around in the body and infect others for days or weeks.