Where It Comes From
Infected people’s stool and respiratory secretions; sewage-contaminated water; surfaces in schools, childcare, and healthcare; often peaks in late summer/fall [1][2].
How You Are Exposed
Hand-to-mouth after touching contaminated surfaces; close contact (coughing/sneezing); diapering; swallowing recreational water; wastewater or healthcare work [1][2][3].
Why It Matters
Usually mild (fever, sore throat, rash, hand‑foot‑and‑mouth disease), but can cause viral meningitis, myocarditis, and severe disease in infants and people with weak immune systems [1][2].
Who Is at Risk
Infants and young children; people with weakened immunity; those in crowded or close-contact settings; childcare, healthcare, and wastewater workers [1][2][3].
How to Lower Your Exposure
Wash hands with soap, especially after bathroom/diaper changes; clean high‑touch surfaces; avoid swallowing pool/lake water and ensure proper pool treatment; stay home when sick; follow PPE and hygiene at work; use safe, treated drinking water [1][2][3].
References
- [1]CDC. About Non-Polio Enteroviruses. https://www.cdc.gov/non-polio-enterovirus/about/index.html
- [2]WHO. Hand, foot and mouth disease. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hand-foot-and-mouth-disease
- [3]EPA. Method 1615: Measurement of Enterovirus and Norovirus Occurrence in Water by Culture and RT‑qPCR (EPA/600/R-10/181). https://www.epa.gov/chemical-research/method-1615-measurement-enterovirus-and-norovirus-occurrence-water-culture-and-rtqpcr