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Doctors are warning that cases of hand, foot and mouth disease are surging in the eastern U.S. this summer.
There are usually some 200,000 reported cases of the viral illness each year, according to the American Medical Association, with spikes typical during summer and fall. But this summer, doctors say they’re seeing even more than usual — although why remains unclear.
“I’ve been practicing pediatrics for about a decade. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this many cases over a period of a few weeks,” Dr. Edith Bracho-Sanchez, a pediatrician at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City, told The New York Times this week.
In Philadelphia, doctors told CBS News that the virus was spreading at summer camps, and a pool in the suburb of Chester was closed for a day after a reported infection.
"Each of our centers across the Philadelphia and surrounding county area are seeing multiple cases," Dr. Bob Czincila, medical director of Vybe urgent care, said.
Health officials in Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia, also told The Times that there have been more outbreaks in their states in 2025 compared to recent years. However, there is little concrete data because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not require that doctors report cases.
The doctors have not hypothesized on the reason for the uptick in cases.
Hand, foot, and mouth disease commonly spreads at daycares, schools, and through water sources. The illness, which is common in children under the age of five, can cause a painful red rash of blister-like lesions, fever, and mouth sores.
Doctors say infection is usually not serious and people recover after a week or 10 days. Still, it is very contagious. Children can spread hand, foot and mouth disease from the day before the rash shows up and for several days after the rash appears, according to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
People are often infected by contact with viruses in fecal matter, fluid from blisters, objects and surfaces with virus particles, and virus particles in the air after a person sneezes, coughs, or even just talks.
“Sometimes those small water-filled blisters can rupture and become shallow ulcers as well, especially in the mouth, which can be painful,” Dr. Terry Yen, a pediatrician and chief medical officer at Texas Children’s Urgent Care, said.
To prevent infection, people should frequently wash their hands, disinfect surfaces, and avoid close contact with others.
If you are infected, most cases resolve on their own, but kids with a temperature above 103 degree Fahrenheit or who have rash that spreads to other parts of the body should see a doctor, Dr. Emily Boss, director of pediatric otolaryngology at Johns Hopkins Medicine, told The Times.
Treatment can help to alleviate uncomfortable symptoms. People can take pain relievers, although parents should never give aspirin to children.
Instead, kids can take Tylenol and Advil in the first three days of illness, when getting ahead of symptoms can make a major difference, Dr. Natasha Burgert, a pediatrician and national spokeswoman for the American Academy of Pediatrics, told The Times.
The mouth sores should be left to heal on their own. Try to eat soft foods and make sure to drink enough water to stay hydrated. The sores may make children not want to drink water.
With hand, foot and mouth disease, “you get worried about children, especially younger children, who are not eating or drinking well becoming dehydrated. That would be a concern,” Yen warned.
That is why it is important to “get children to drink more and help make them comfortable by treating the fevers and the pain.”
