HFM question

[ktw]

My H and I were at a wedding on Thursday night, and my cousin mentioned her son had just had HFM. We came in contact with my cousin, her husband, and her parents, but not her son who was actually sick. This morning my husband is sitting on the couch and mentions that his hand is bothering him. He has 3 or 4 tiny spots on one hand that you can barely see. He says it feels like he has a splinter in his hand where the spots are. He has no other symptoms and feels fine. My daughter seems fine, no sign of blisters or any other symptoms.

I've been googling, and it sounds like it's rare for adults to get HFM, and it's typical for the blisters to pop up a few days after other symptoms begin. Also, symptoms usually develop 3-6 days after exposure, so not likely to happen this quickly if he got it from my cousin, though he could have picked it up somewhere else. We're supposed to go to a bday party today, so I don't want to expose anyone else, but I also don't want to be an alarmist and cancel all of our plans for no reason. Does anyone have experience with HFM in adults? How did it start? Thanks!

[thebreakfastclub]

I got it last summer, when DS did. It started with exhaustion and fever, then 3-4 days of sore throat. Finally I got the spots on my hands and feet.

I didn't think the spots hurt. The sore throat was really bad though.

[thebreakfastclub]

Also once there is no fever, you are not contagious.

[lolo]

I wonder if your H was bitten by a spider or something.

[lolo]

Aug 29, 2015 8:06:49 GMT -5 thebreakfastclub said:

Also once there is no fever, you are not contagious.

There is not consensus on this. My understanding is that the liquid in the blisters and even stools can sometimes infect others.

[karinothing]

Aug 29, 2015 8:06:49 GMT -5 thebreakfastclub said:

Also once there is no fever, you are not contagious.

Not true. It is shed in fecal matter for weeks.

[rugbywife]

Aug 29, 2015 8:06:49 GMT -5 thebreakfastclub said:

Also once there is no fever, you are not contagious.

This is not entirely true. There is a big debate as to whether it is after the fever is gone, after the sores are gone or after a week, or even longer. Apparently it can be present in feces for months. I couldn't find a common answer online, my doc said when the sores were gone.


OP...we all had it...we all showed different symptoms to different degrees.

[rugbywife]

Lol. Now I see my point has be covered.

[rugbywife]

Lol. Now I see my point has be covered.

[thebreakfastclub]

Aug 29, 2015 9:39:45 GMT -5 karinothing said:

Aug 29, 2015 8:06:49 GMT -5 thebreakfastclub said:

Also once there is no fever, you are not contagious.

Not true. It is shed in fecal matter for weeks.

Hopefully her H can contain his poop at the party!

[tealblue]

Dh had it a few years ago and it was 100x worse for him than for DS (thank goodness!) I have read that adults are getting it more and more now because the strain is different than when we were kids. I don't recall ever having it but I didn't get HFM when the rest of my family did. DS actually had it twice, apparently 2 different strains but not too bad.

I would keep DH home but you and your child can go. Nothing really can help except Tylenol or ibuprofen.

[rugbywife]

Aug 29, 2015 11:09:18 GMT -5 @pennypie said:

I had it and on my first day was feeling tired in the morning and feverish by afternoon. That morning I went to my boss's house for a team retreat. No one on my team got it, but a few days later boss's toddler came down with it. He was patient zero at his daycare, so probably didn't get it from there. I have *no clue* what I touched at the house that the kid touched or whatnot. Very strange.

But the description of the spots is accurate. Kind of flat blisters that kind of burn to the touch.

You gave it to your boss. He carried the virus but never showed symptoms, gave it to his kid.