Hand Foot Mouth Disease During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: A Multicentric Study

ABSTRACT

Objectives: This prospective observational study aimed to identify the current trend of the circulating viral strains responsible for hand foot mouth disease (HFMD) outbreak in four tertiary care centers in Rajasthan, amidst the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic (April-October 2022). Methods: Cases with suspected HFMD, presenting to our skin outpatient department were assessed clinically and serologically (IgM antibodies against coxsackie virus (CV) A6, A16 and enterovirus 71) for evidence of the disease. Results: We identified 718 new HFMD patients (161 adults) with peaks in May and August, 2022. Malefemale ratio decreased with increasing age. Most children were asymptomatic. A total of 385/409 patients assessed serologically, were found positive, most commonly against CV-A6. Conclusion: Though HFMD typically affects young children, an unusually higher proportion of adults were affected during the current pandemic. There were some differences between pediatric and adult presentation of HFMD.