ACYCLOVIR IN THE TREATMENT OF HAND-FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE

Twelve children ages 1 to 5 years and one adult with hand-foot-and-mou th disease were treated with oral acyclovir within one to two days of onset of the rash, Symptomatic relief, defervescence, and significant involution of lesions were seen within twenty-four hours of initiating therapy. Acyclovir was continued for live days, by which time palmar, plantar, and oral lesions were virtually gone, Acyclovir is a molecul e tailored to inactivate the thymidine kinase of the herpesvirus, Sinc e the Coxsackie A16 virus causing hand-foot-and-mouth disease lacks th is enzyme, the beneficial therapeutic effect must be explained on othe r grounds, possibly due to enhancement of the antiviral effect of the patient's own interferon.