- With Mayo Clinic emeritus consultant
Jay L. Hoecker, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Jay L. Hoecker, M.D.
Jay Hoecker, M.D.
Dr. Jay Hoecker, an emeritus member of the Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, brings valuable expertise to health information content on primary care pediatrics. He has a particular interest in infectious diseases of children.
He's a Fort Worth, Texas, native, certified as a pediatrician by the American Board of Pediatrics and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He was trained at Washington University's St. Louis Children's Hospital, and in infectious diseases at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. He has been with Mayo Clinic since 1989.
"The World Wide Web is revolutionizing the availability and distribution of information, including health information about children and families," Dr. Hoecker says. "The evolution of the Web has included greater safety, privacy and accuracy over time, making the quality and access to children's health information immediate, practical and useful. I am happy to be a part of this service to patients from a trusted name in medicine, to use and foster all the good the Web has to offer children and their families."
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Question
Coxsackievirus in children: How serious is it?
My 3-year-old granddaughter has coxsackievirus. It's going around her child care. Is this a serious illness?
Answer
from Jay L. Hoecker, M.D.
Most coxsackievirus infections aren't serious. They typically cause only mild signs and symptoms, such as:
- Fever
- Rash
- Sore throat
- Joint pain
- Headache
Coxsackievirus — sometimes written as two words, Coxsackie virus — belongs to a group of viruses called enteroviruses. Coxsackievirus infections occur most often in young children, usually during summer and fall.
There's no specific treatment for coxsackievirus infections. Antibiotics aren't effective in treating coxsackievirus or any other viral infection. Doctors usually recommend rest, fluids, and over-the-counter pain relievers or fever reducers when appropriate.
If your granddaughter develops more-serious signs or symptoms of coxsackievirus infection, such as severe headaches, joint pain or a high fever, she should be evaluated by a doctor. Coxsackievirus infection can lead to meningitis, but most cases are uncomplicated and resolve within a week or so. However, in rare cases, a child infected with coxsackievirus can develop a severe illness that may require hospitalization.
- Modlin JF. Enteroviruses: Coxsackieviruses, echoviruses, and newer enteroviruses. In: Long SS, et al. Principles and Practice of Pediatric Infectious Diseases Revised Reprint. 3rd ed. New York, N.Y.: Churchill Livingstone; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/123942791-8/0/1679/241.html?tocnode=55244301&fromURL=241.html. Accessed June 30, 2011.
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