OAK HILL, WV (WOAY) – It was recognized since the 1950s, though hand, foot, and mouth disease is likely to have existed much longer.
Caused by enteroviruses, transmission occurs through direct contact with saliva, nasal mucus, or skin lesions of an infected person, or through contaminated objects or surfaces.
Hand washing is one of our best defenses.
“That’s the main thing with anything, it’s always good to have hand hygiene,” said Beckley ARH Nurse Practitioner Sandra Stack. “However, you can have a fever, a sore throat, you can have general body aches, not just the blisters on your hands and feet.”
According to the West Virginia Bureau of Public Health, statewide 38 HFMD outbreaks have been reported, including 17 since September 1, 2025.
The viral illness primarily affects infants and children, and is more prevalent in the summer and fall months.
When your whole family is hit with hand, foot, and mouth disease…
“It was terrible,” Fayetteville resident Susan McKnight said. “We all had blisters on our hands and our feet, on the baby’s head and around their mouths. My husband had it the worst. He had major blisters on his feet and his hands.”
At a Place to Grow Children’s Center, their priority is prevention — that means they do a lot of sanitation and disinfection.
“Consistent hand-washing and sanitation of toys and materials,” Director Katelyn Vandal said. “Frequently touched objects are sanitized all day long, especially anything that kids or infants, toddlers put in their mouth gets immediately sanitized, taken away from them to try to prevent the spread of germs like that.”
Just like COVID, flu, strep, and other viruses — if you’re sick, stay home. Don’t share your germs with the general population.
“If you have it and you’re out and about, you’re going to spread it around; it is very contagious,” said Stack. “It should resolve itself most of the time within 7 to 10 days, kind of like general viruses do.”
These are uncertain times, but you can take precautions.
“It’s scary. I just practiced with my children, handwashing a lot,” McKnight said. “Trying to stay clean and watch what you grab, what you put your hands on. When you know there’s colds and stuff going around, sanitize.”
Clean all hard surfaces, including doorknobs, telephones, cellphones, remotes, refrigerator door handles in your house with Lysol or Clorox wipes.
“Think about how much stuff you touch with your hands, especially if your blisters are really draining, because you typically get a rash that turns to a blister,” said Nurse Practioner Stack. “After like say, you go to Walmart or T.J. Maxx or Kroger’s or Hobby Lobby, anywhere, and then you’re going to grab something to eat — always wash your hands after that.”
A Place to Grow is on top of this.
“If it would come into the center our staff are highly trained to recognize it and exclude children with symptoms right away,” Vandal said. “That way, we can control it as best as possible. And we have been lucky so far, because it does take a village to help control these things.”
