該不該擔心手足口病?

A viral infection known as hand, foot, and mouth disease is in the news this month, as doctors in several states have reported an increase in cases. And while children are more likely to catch and pass along this illness, adults can and do get sick from it as well. In fact, two Major League Baseball players-Noah Syndergaard of the Mets and J.A. Happ of the Yankees-recently missed games because they'd contracted the virus.

本月，美國好幾個州的醫生稱手足口病病例有所增加，隨之新聞上報道了這一病毒感染。雖然兒童更容易感染並傳播這一疾病，但成年人也可能患手足口病。事實上，美國職業棒球大聯盟的兩位球員--來自紐約大都會隊的Noah Syndergaard和來自紐約洋基隊的J.A. Happ--最近錯過了比賽，就是因爲他們感染了這一病毒。

While the news about hand, foot, and mouth disease may seem concerning, it's not necessarily anything to worry about, says Jessica Ericson, MD, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Penn State Children's Hospital. Outbreaks among young kids are common, and they aren't unheard of among school-aged children, college students, and adults, either.

雖然關於手足口病的新聞令人憂心忡忡，但其實無需多慮，傑西卡·埃裏克森醫學博士說道。她是賓夕法尼亞州兒童醫院的兒科傳染病專家。小孩子患手足口病很正常，但學齡兒童、大學生和成年人也有可能患手足口病。

Still, it's smart to know how to spot this painful illness, and how to protect yourself from it and other contagious viruses. Here's what doctors want everyone to know.

不過，懂得識別、預防疼痛難耐的手足口病並預防其它傳染病毒是明智之舉。醫生希望大家都能瞭解這些事。

What is hand, foot, and mouth disease?

什麼是手足口病？

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is an infection caused by a group of viruses known as enteroviruses. Usually, a subgroup called coxsackieviruses are to blame, although other types of enteroviruses have been linked to the illness, as well.

手足口病是由腸胃病毒引起的感染。通常，雖然其它腸胃病毒也與手足口病相關，但一種叫做柯薩奇病毒的病毒亞羣是導致這一疾病的罪魁禍首。

Hand, foot, and mouth disease got its name from its most prominent symptoms: sores in the mouth and a rash that commonly appears on the hands and feet. While the illness can sound-and look-scary, it's not usually dangerous, says Nadia Qureshi, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics at Loyola University Medical Center. It can be quite uncomfortable, though, and usually lasts five to seven days.

手足口病因其症狀鮮明而得名：口腔潰瘍、手腳出現皮疹。雖然該疾病不論是聽上去還是看上去都令人害怕，但它的危害性卻通常不大，Nadia Qureshi醫學博士說道。她是洛約拉大學醫學中心的兒科助理教授。手足口病會令人不適，但通常只會持續5至7天。

Hand, foot, and mouth disease symptoms

手足口病症狀

"Because it can be caused by many different virus strains, hand, foot, and mouth disease look different from one person to the next," says Dr. Ericson. Often, people develop sores or blisters on their hands, feet, tongues, gums, and the insides of their cheeks, "but you could have them in just one place, or in other places," she says. "We often see sores on the buttocks in the diaper area, or with a generalized rash across the body."

"因爲手足口病是由多種不同的病毒株引起的，所以其症狀因人而異，"埃裏克森醫生說道。通常，人們的手、腳、舌頭、牙齦和臉頰內側會長出瘡或水皰。"但也有可能只在一個地方或多個地方出現，"她說道。"通常，穿尿布的嬰兒會臀部長瘡，全身皮疹。"