Herpangina
Basics
Description
- Highly infectious viral disease caused most commonly by coxsackievirus and other enterovirus species (1)
- Characteristics:
- Fever of short duration (<5 days)
- Characterized by painful vesicular or ulcerated lesions in the posterior pharynx, soft palate, tonsils, and uvula
- Incubation period of ~4 days
- Usual course: acute and self-limited
- System(s) affected: endocrine/metabolic; gastrointestinal
Epidemiology
Incidence
- Year-round in tropical climates
- Peak summer and fall incidence in temperate climates
- Predominant age: typically <5 years (can occur at any age group)
- Predominant sex: male = female
Etiology and Pathophysiology
- Common
- Coxsackievirus A, types 1 to 10, 16, and 22
- Infrequent
- Coxsackievirus B, types 1 to 5
- Echovirus, types 6, 9, 11, 17, 22, and 25
- Other enteroviruses (e.g., enterovirus B) (2)
Risk Factors
- Contact with infected person
- Exposure to diaper changes or toilet training may increase risk (parents/teachers/daycare employees).
General Prevention
- Avoid contact with infected individuals.
- Fecal–oral and respiratory droplet transmission—general hygiene (hand washing) is important.
- Hand washing by preschool-aged children and their caregivers protects against spread (3).
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Citation
Domino, Frank J., et al., editors. "Herpangina." 5-Minute Clinical Consult, 33rd ed., Wolters Kluwer, 2025. Medicine Central, im.unboundmedicine.com/medicine/view/5-Minute-Clinical-Consult/1688792/all/Herpangina.
Herpangina. In: Domino FJF, Baldor RAR, Golding JJ, et al, eds. 5-Minute Clinical Consult. Wolters Kluwer; 2025. https://im.unboundmedicine.com/medicine/view/5-Minute-Clinical-Consult/1688792/all/Herpangina. Accessed October 10, 2024.
Herpangina. (2025). In Domino, F. J., Baldor, R. A., Golding, J., & Stephens, M. B. (Eds.), 5-Minute Clinical Consult (33rd ed.). Wolters Kluwer. https://im.unboundmedicine.com/medicine/view/5-Minute-Clinical-Consult/1688792/all/Herpangina
Herpangina [Internet]. In: Domino FJF, Baldor RAR, Golding JJ, Stephens MBM, editors. 5-Minute Clinical Consult. Wolters Kluwer; 2025. [cited 2024 October 10]. Available from: https://im.unboundmedicine.com/medicine/view/5-Minute-Clinical-Consult/1688792/all/Herpangina.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
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T1 - Herpangina
ID - 1688792
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ED - Baldor,Robert A,
ED - Golding,Jeremy,
ED - Stephens,Mark B,
BT - 5-Minute Clinical Consult, Updating
UR - https://im.unboundmedicine.com/medicine/view/5-Minute-Clinical-Consult/1688792/all/Herpangina
PB - Wolters Kluwer
ET - 33
DB - Medicine Central
DP - Unbound Medicine
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