A common set of symptoms associated with viral infections that are most frequently seen in the summer and fall. Despite its scary name, this illness is generally mild.

No, unless

Yes, when all the following criteria are met:

When exclusion criteria are resolved, the child is able to participate, and educators determine they can care for the child without compromising their ability to care for the health and safety of the other children in the group

Notes: Exclusion will not reduce disease transmission because some children may shed the virus without becoming recognizably ill and other children who became ill may shed the virus for weeks in the stool.

In some cases, the local health department may require children with hand-foot-and-mouth disease to stay home to control an outbreak.

Adapted from Managing Infectious Diseases in Child Care and Schools: A Quick Reference Guide.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)...

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