Awareness Of Hand, Foot And Mouth Disease Among Dental Students

Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFM) is often a potentially infectious condition primarily caused through enteroviruses. Clinical manifestations involve erythematous papules mostly on arms, legs, and even in the oral cavity, followed by prodromal effects such as myalgia, moderate fever, and abdominal distress. This survey was conducted to assess hand, foot, and mouth disease awareness among dental students. This was a questionnaire-based crosssectional type of survey comprising 100 dental college students in Chennai. A self-designed questionnaire containing ten queries based on the knowledge and awareness about Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) among dental college students. Questionnaires were distributed through an online website survey planet. After the responses were received from 100 participants, data were collected and analysed.47% are aware of HFMD. 34%are aware of the clinical manifestation of HFMD. 31%Are aware of the mode of transmission of HFMD. 26% are aware of the preventive measures against HFMD.18%. Are aware of the incubation period of HFMD. 24%aware of treatment measures for HFMD. This study found the dental students displayed less knowledge and understanding of HFMD. Even, there are few differences in knowledge and behaviours that require enhancement. Large-scale health awareness initiatives of HFMD should be implemented by professional associations in order to ill these gaps and improve awareness in order to positively impact their attitudes.


INTRODUCTION
Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFM) is often a potentially infectious condition primarily caused through enteroviruses.
Clinical manifestations involve erythematous papules mostly on arms, legs, and even in the oral cavity, followed by prodromal effects such as myalgia, moderate fever, and abdominal distress. Lesions typically form onto vesicles and instead suddenly dissolve within 1 or 2 weeks (Kushner and Caldwell, 1996;Melnick et al., 1953). Lesions become typically asymptomatic, although in some situations pressure and contact may cause pain. Children are the most vulnerable, but immunode icient adults may also be impacted. Nevertheless, HFM infection is particularly rare in immunocompetent individuals.
Oral lesions usually show up all the time with or before cutaneous lesions, but the simultaneous occurrence of lesions on the hands, legs, and in the oral cavity in adults is quite rare (Johnston and Burke, 1986). Furthermore, oral lesions can occur without skin lesions, and HFM lacking oral mucosal lesions has also been documented in such  (Evans, 2012;Hayden et al., 2016).
While viral culture is known to be the ultimate approach for accurate research, indings are typically made on the basis of clinical symptoms (Tsao et al., 2002). Signature histological indings of skin lesions include reticular and growing epidermis degeneration without inclusion bodies or multinucleated giant cells (McKinney, 1975;Williams, 2000). Since oral presentations occur, dental students need to be aware of this condition. This survey was conducted to assess hand, foot, and mouth disease awareness among dental students.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
This was a questionnaire-based cross-sectional type of survey comprising 100 dental college students in Chennai. A self-designed questionnaire containing ten queries based on the knowledge and awareness about Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) among dental college students. Questionnaires were distributed through an online website survey planet. After the responses were received from 100 participants, data were collected and analysed. Hand-foot-mouth disease (HFM) is an extremely contagious disease distinguished by numerous vesicles mostly on hands and feet as well as in the oral cavity. It typically occurs in childhood in the summer season. Coxsackievirus A16 is by far the most prevalent virus that causes HFM disease; other direct causal viruses involve coxsackieviruses A5, A7, A9, A10, B2, B5, and sometimes enterovirus 71. Clinically, the initiation is marked by fever and the development of papules on the hands, legs, and in the oral cavity that advance to the bladder. Symptoms typically go down around 7 to 10 days (Kochańska, 2020;McKinney, 1975).
The interpretation of HFM disease was focused on average skin outlines, simple oral lesions histopathology, serology, and polymerase chain response. Characteristic histopathologic indings of skin lesions include reticular and swelling, epidermal degeneration without inclusion bodies nor multinucleated giant cells (Higgins and Warin, 1967). Treatment is predictive, and the disease is cured without dif iculty within 7 to 10 days. In either case, there have also been occasional cases of severe discomforts, such as pneumonia, cardiomyocytes but also aseptic meningitis.
Since HFM sickness is profoundly infectious, old people, expectant mothers and immunosuppressed adults can have severe dif iculties, early diagnosis and separation are crucial. Since HFM infection is especially unusual in immunocompetent adults, early location and accurate diagnosis are very dificult (Baker, 1979;Wright et al., 1963). Finally, in order to avoid transmission of pathogens to children or vulnerable adults, dental students should be made aware that HFM disease may develop in an immunode icient human.

CONCLUSIONS
This study found the dental students displayed less knowledge and understanding of HFMD. Even, there are few differences in knowledge and behaviours that require enhancement.
Large-scale health awareness initiatives of HFMD should be implemented by professional associations in order to ill these gaps and improve awareness in order to positively impact their attitudes.

Funding Support
The authors declare that they have no funding support for this study.