Herpangina is a common illness that affects mostly children, although it can affect people at any age. We usually see it in the summer and fall. It’s generally caused by a virus called Coxsackie type A, but other viruses can also cause it.

The illness usually starts with a fever, which can be high. A rash (there are lots of different rashes possible) and mouth sores follow, although the amount of rash and mouth sores varies from child to child. The sores are whitish in the middle with a red border, and can be quite painful.

Herpangina is not a serious illness; it goes away by itself within a few days without any complications. The biggest concern during the illness is dehydration if pain from the mouth sores stops the child from drinking. In most cases, using acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain, and offering cold, soothing liquids (popsicles work well!) does the trick. In some cases, stronger pain medications or even intravenous fluids are necessary.

Herpangina is contagious. It is spread by the “fecal-oral” route. This means that children with the illness who are toilet trained need to wash their hands very well with soap and water after using the toilet. If the child is in diapers, caretakers should be extremely vigilant about washing after changing diapers. In fact, to be on the safe side, everyone who has any contact with a child with herpangina should wash hands frequently (or use alcohol-based hand gels) to lower the risk of catching the virus.