Is herpangina highly contagious to adults?

From the Guidelines

Herpangina is not highly contagious to adults, as the provided evidence does not support this claim, and the discussed infection is actually Herpes Zoster, not herpangina. The study 1 focuses on Herpes Zoster infection, which is common among adults older than 50 years and is highly contagious, but this does not apply to herpangina.

Key Points to Consider

• Herpangina is a viral infection that spreads through direct contact with respiratory droplets, fecal matter, or contaminated surfaces, but its contagiousness to adults is not well-established in the provided evidence.
• The incubation period and contagious period of herpangina are not specified in the given study, which deals with Herpes Zoster infection.
• To prevent transmission of viral infections in general, practice frequent handwashing with soap and water, avoid sharing utensils or drinks, disinfect commonly touched surfaces, and limit close contact with infected individuals.
• Treatment for herpangina is typically supportive, but the provided evidence does not discuss herpangina treatment specifically, instead focusing on antiviral agents for Herpes Zoster infection 1.

Clinical Considerations

• Adults can catch viral infections like herpangina by being in close contact with infected individuals, especially when sharing food, drinks, or touching contaminated objects.
• The lack of specific evidence on herpangina's contagiousness to adults means that general precautions against viral infections should be taken, such as frequent handwashing and avoiding close contact with infected individuals.
• Given the absence of direct evidence, it's essential to rely on general principles of infection control and prevention, as outlined in studies like 1, which emphasizes the importance of standard infection-control precautions for contagious infections.

From the Research

Contagiousness of Herpangina to Adults

• Herpangina is a common infectious disease in childhood caused by an enterovirus 2.
• The main pathogenic serotypes of herpangina include Coxsackievirus-A, Enterovirus-A, and Echovirus 2.
• Adults, especially caregivers, can be potential infection resources for the sustaining epidemic of hand, foot, and mouth disease/herpangina 3.
• Caregivers who tested positive for enterovirus were found to be a significant risk factor for HFMD/HA transmission to children, with an adjusted odds ratio of 9.22 3.
• Certain behaviors of caregivers, such as cooling children's food with their mouth and feeding children with their own tableware, can increase the risk of transmitting HFMD/HA to children 3.
• Hand-washing by preschool-aged children and their caregivers has a significant protective effect against community-acquired HFMD and herpangina from the human enterovirus 71 infection 4.
• Herpangina and hand, foot, and mouth disease are common infectious diseases caused by human enteroviruses and frequently occur in young children, but can also be transmitted to adults 5.

Transmission and Prevention

• Herpangina is spread by respiratory droplets 6.
• The infection is mainly encountered in young children, but adults can also be infected 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
• Preventing or treating the caregivers' enterovirus infection and improving their hygiene habits, especially when they are in contact with children, could provide a breakthrough for the effective control of HFMD/HA 3.
• Hand-washing is an effective measure to prevent the transmission of herpangina and HFMD 3, 4.