Overview of hand, foot and mouth disease Hand, foot and mouth disease is a common childhood infectious disease. It mainly affects children, but adults can also be infected. The disease is mainly caused by the coxsackie virus and has varying symptoms, including fever, mouth ulcers and rash. The non-onset period and treatment difficulty of hand, foot and mouth disease are different. Therefore, children need in-depth observation, timely diagnosis and treatment during the onset period.