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Medical Author:

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.

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Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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In this Article

• Coxsackie virus facts
• What is Coxsackie virus?
• What are the types of Coxsackie viruses, and what can they cause?
• What are Coxsackie virus infection symptoms and signs?
• How do people get infected with Coxsackie virus?
• What are the risk factors for Coxsackie virus infection?
• How do Coxsackie infections get diagnosed?
• Is there any treatment for Coxsackie virus infection?
• Can Coxsackie virus infections be prevented?
• What is the prognosis of a Coxsackie virus infection?
• Patient Comments: Coxsackie Virus - Experience
• Patient Comments: Coxsackie Virus - Symptoms
• Coxsackie Virus Index

Until recently, the general prognosis for most patients was excellent, with children making a complete recovery without needing any supportive care (hospitalization). However, this may be changing as evidenced by the outbreak in Alabama in 2011-2012 that required 12% percent of children hospitalized for supportive care. Only rarely do patients suffer poor outcomes with complications of meningitis, pericarditis, or encephalitis.

REFERENCES:

Blomqvist, S., P. Kemola, P., S. Kaijalainen, et al. "Co-circulation of Coxsackieviruses A6 and A10 in Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease Outbreak in Finland." J. Clin. Virol. 48.1 May 2010: 49-54.

Mersch, John. "Hand Foot and Mouth (HFM) Disease." MedicineNet.com. Aug. 23, 2010. <http://www.medicinenet.com/hand-foot-and-mouth_syndrome/article.htm>.

Richer, M., and M. Horwitz. "Coxsackievirus Infection as an Environmental Factor in the Etiology of Type 1 Diabetes." Autoimmun. Rev. 8.7 June 2009: 611-615.

United States. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease." May 14, 2012. <http://www.cdc.gov/Features/HandFootMouthDisease/>.

United States. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Notes from the Field: Severe Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease Associated with Coxsackievirus A6 -- Alabama, Connecticut, California, and Nevada, November 2011–February 2012." MMWR 61.12 Mar. 30, 2012: 213-214. <http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6112a5.htm>.