# Hand Foot and Mouth Disease - How Contagious for an Adult? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 8, 2006, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-foot-and-mouth-disease-how-contagious-for-an-adult/379504 "2006-11-08T02:22:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tallmark9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/54ee81/32.png) [@Tallmark9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tallmark9)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2006, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-foot-and-mouth-disease-how-contagious-for-an-adult/379504/1 "2006-11-08T02:22:22Z")
My two small children have had Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease for about a week now. From the CDC website I understand that this virus is contagious and is spread through “direct contact with nose and throat discharges, saliva, fluid from blisters, or the stool of infected persons.” What I can’t quite figure out is how contagious I may be right now. To get right to the point - I have a date tomorrow night, and I’m afraid of passing this virus on to my girlfriend, who also has small children. If I have no symptoms, do I still need to consider this a “hands off” evening - no intimacy allowed? ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-foot-and-mouth-disease-how-contagious-for-an-adult/379504/2 "2006-11-09T15:31:36Z")
[QUOTE=Tallmark9] To get right to the point - I have a date tomorrow night, and I’m afraid of passing this virus on to my girlfriend, who also has small children. If I have no symptoms, do I still need to consider this a “hands off” evening - no intimacy allowed? [/QUOTE] Hope this answers your question. [**More Information on H F & M Disease Precautions**](http://www.familymanagement.com/childcare/facts/hoof.mouth.facts.html) But don’t take chances.