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，美国好几个州的医生称手足口病病例有所增加，随之新闻上报道了这一病毒感染。虽然儿童更容易感染并传播这一疾病，但成年人也可能患手足口病。事实上，美国职业棒球大联盟的两位球员--来自纽约大都会队的Noah Syndergaard和来自纽约洋基队的J.A. Happ--最近错过了比赛，就是因为他们感染了这一病毒。

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.

虽然关于手足口病的新闻令人忧心忡忡，但其实无需多虑，杰西卡·埃里克森医学博士说道。她是宾夕法尼亚州儿童医院的儿科传染病专家。小孩子患手足口病很正常，但学龄儿童、大学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 contagious¹ viruses. Here's what doctors want everyone to know.

不过，懂得识别、预防疼痛难耐的手足口病并预防其它传染病毒是明智之举。医生希望大家都能了解这些事。

What is hand, foot, and mouth disease?

什么是手足口病？

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.

手足口病是由肠胃病毒引起的感染。通常，虽然其它肠胃病毒也与手足口病相关，但一种叫做柯萨奇病毒的病毒亚群是导致这一疾病的罪魁祸首。

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.

手足口病因其症状鲜明而得名：口腔溃疡、手脚出现皮疹。虽然该疾病不论是听上去还是看上去都令人害怕，但它的危害性却通常不大，Nadia Qureshi医学博士说道。她是洛约拉大学医学中心的儿科助理教授。手足口病会令人不适，但通常只会持续5至7天。

Hand, foot, and mouth disease symptoms

手足口病症状

"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 blisters² 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."

"因为手足口病是由多种不同的病毒株引起的，所以其症状因人而异，"埃里克森医生说道。通常，人们的手、脚、舌头、牙龈和脸颊内侧会长出疮或水疱。"但也有可能只在一个地方或多个地方出现，"她说道。"通常，穿尿布的婴儿会臀部长疮，全身皮疹。"