Pink's Son Has Hand, Foot, And Mouth Disease—And It's Highly Contagious

Rough week for Pink: Her son, Jameson Moon, currently has hand, foot, and mouth disease, according to an Instagram post by Pink’s husband, Carey Hart. FYI: The couple’s daughter, Willow Sage, also has a 102-degree fever.

Wanna know how glamorous tour can be? Jameson has hand, foot, and mouth; and willow has a 102 temp. Both kids laid up and mama @pink still has to push through and do shows. I had Jameson at breakfast yesterday and this vile woman at the table next to us kept staring at him with a shitty look on her face. I told her it was bed bugs ?. #NoRestForTheWicked #LifeInHotels

A post shared by Carey Hart (@hartluck) on Aug 28, 2018 at 2:37am PDT

Wanna know how glamorous tour can be? Jameson has hand, foot, and mouth; and willow has a 102 temp. Both kids laid up and mama @pink still has to push through and do shows. I had Jameson at breakfast yesterday and this vile woman at the table next to us kept staring at him with a shitty look on her face. I told her it was bed bugs ?. #NoRestForTheWicked #LifeInHotels

A post shared by Carey Hart (@hartluck) on Aug 28, 2018 at 2:37am PDT

In the photo, you can see Jameson, who’s 20-months old, with a red rash on his hands and feet, and around his mouth. (Hart mentioned in the IG caption that he told a fellow, scornful restaurant-goer that it was from bed bugs. Nothing like a little humor?)

But uh, what exactly is hand, foot, and mouth disease—and how did Jameson get it? Here’s what you need to know to protect your kids and yourself from the virus.

Hold on, what exactly is hand, foot and mouth disease?

Hand, foot, and mouth disease—HFMD, for short—is a viral illness that typically affects babies and children under 5 years old, but it can also occur in older kids and adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

HFMD is known as an enterovirus—a group of viruses which also includes polioviruses and coxsackieviruses (the most common cause of HFMD), per the CDC.

Like most viruses, HFMD can be passed from person to person through an infected person’s saliva, mucus, or feces, and fluids from the blisters that develop from HFDM. People with HFMD are typically most contagious during the first week of their illness, though they can continue to be contagious for days or weeks, even after symptoms go away.

So what are those symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease?

The initial signs of hand, foot and mouth disease include a fever, loss of appetite, a sore throat, and an overall feeling of uneasiness.

A few days later, a skin rash—like Jameson’s—might start to develop and that can come with blisters on anywhere from the knees and elbows to the butt and genitals. Usually it takes about three to seven days from infection for the symptoms to pop up, says the World Health Organization (WHO).

Adults, however, may not show symptoms, but they can still spread it to other people, according to the CDC, as the virus is highly contagious (so, parents can get it from, say, changing an infected child’s diaper). That’s why, as usual, good hygiene is key—the CDC says being super-diligent about washing your hands and wiping down surfaces and toys can minimize the spread of the virus.

How is hand, foot, and mouth disease treated?

So, you can’t specifically treat hand, foot and mouth disease, but you can treat the symptoms of it. The CDC recommends over-the-counter pain meds (no aspirin for kids, though) to help ease soreness, along with numbing mouth sprays.

The CDC also notes that, because HFMD might make swallowing painful (again, those mouth sores), staying hydrated is key—if someone can’t drink, they may have to receive fluids intravenously.

And, while complications from HFMD are rare, they can still happen—viral meningitis (inflammation of the brain’s membranes and spinal cord) can occur, as well as encephalitis (inflammation of the brain); though, again, those are extremely rare. Fingernail and toenail loss have also been reported with HFMD, per the CDC, though experts don’t know why—but the nail loss was also temporary, and grew back with treatment.

If you suspect your child (or yourself!) has HFMD, see your doctor—they can identify the disease by examining any mouth sores typically caused by the disease, along with saliva or feces samples.

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