You can get hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) again, and it can technically happen quite soon after a previous bout, though that is uncommon and usually not within days once you have fully recovered.

How soon can you get it again?

  • Research tracking thousands of HFMD cases found recurrences anywhere from about 2 weeks up to several years after the first episode, with a median around 11–12 months between episodes.
  • The overall chance of getting HFMD again in the first 3–4 years after an episode was about 4% , so repeat infections are possible but not extremely common.
  • Very early “recurrence” within a couple of weeks is more often:
    • The same illness still running its course or flaring.
    • Ongoing exposure in a household or daycare leading to infection by a different virus while immunity to the first is still developing.

In everyday terms: once you are truly better, another full HFMD episode a few days later is unlikely, but another infection within months is definitely possible, especially in young children.

Why can you get HFMD more than once?

HFMD is caused by a group of enteroviruses, not just one.

  • Common culprits:
    • Coxsackie A16
    • Enterovirus 71 (EV71)
    • Other Coxsackie and enterovirus types
  • After infection, the body mainly develops immunity to that one specific virus type , not to all of them.
  • This means:
    • You might be protected against the exact strain you had.
    • You can still catch HFMD caused by a different strain later.

Some large studies show that reinfection with a different enterovirus type is more common than reinfection with the exact same type.

How long is someone contagious?

This matters for “how soon again” because continued exposure to others increases the risk.

  • People with HFMD are most contagious during the first 7 days of illness.
  • The virus can stay in stool for several weeks , so young kids, diapers, and poor hand hygiene can keep transmission going in families and daycares.
  • Typical isolation guidance:
    • Stay home until fever-free for 24 hours and feeling well enough for usual activities.
    • Many sources recommend roughly 7–10 days off school/work during the main illness period.

So even after someone looks better, they may still be able to spread the virus, and that continuing exposure is one reason repeat infections are seen over months in communities.

What do studies and real-life cases show?

  • A large Chinese dataset (2008–2015) found:
    • Recurrence probability 1.9% at 12 months , 3.3% at 24 months , 3.9% at 36 months , leveling at 4% by about 3+ years after the first episode.
* Recurrent episodes occurred **0.5–93 months** after the first one, with a median of about **12 months**.
  • Another analysis of nearly 80,000 HFMD cases found a reinfection rate around 5% , with shorter intervals between later episodes in children who had multiple infections.
  • Case reports describe individual children having HFMD more than once , usually explained by infection with a different viral strain.

The reassuring part: recurrence does not seem to make the disease automatically more severe, and severity was not clearly linked to the length of time between episodes.

Practical advice: protecting yourself and your kid

If someone in your household just had HFMD and you are worried about “how soon again”:

  • Hygiene focus for several weeks
    • Wash hands with soap and water after diaper changes, toilet use, and before eating.
    • Disinfect high-touch surfaces (toys, doorknobs, light switches).
  • Avoid close contact during the peak contagious window
    • Minimize kissing, sharing cups/utensils, and close face-to-face contact in the first 7–10 days.
  • Watch for new symptoms
    • Fever, sore throat, mouth ulcers, new spots on hands/feet/bottom.
    • If a new cluster of symptoms appears weeks or months later, it may be a new infection rather than a “relapse.”

When to call a doctor urgently

Contact a doctor or urgent care right away if:

  • Child or adult has trouble drinking, very little urine, or signs of dehydration.
  • Confusion, extreme sleepiness, or unusual jerking/eye movements.
  • Fast or labored breathing, bluish lips, or severe headache/neck stiffness.

These can be signs of rare but serious complications and need prompt medical attention.

Bottom line: You can get hand, foot and mouth again, often months to years later, because different viruses cause it and immunity is strain- specific. Very quick “repeats” are less common but possible in high-exposure settings, so good hygiene and temporary isolation are key to lowering the risk.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.