A 3-year-old child presents with high fever, drooling, difficulty swallowing, and vesicular lesions on the soft palate, tonsillar pillars, and posterior pharynx. There are also vesicles on the palms and soles. The responsible pathogen belongs to which viral family?
- A Picornaviridae ✓
- B Herpesviridae
- C Paramyxoviridae
- D Caliciviridae
Correct answer: A. Picornaviridae
Explanation
The clinical picture describes Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) with herpangina, most commonly caused by Coxsackievirus A16 or Enterovirus 71, both members of the family Picornaviridae (small, non-enveloped, positive-sense single-stranded RNA viruses). Herpesviruses cause oral lesions but not palmar/plantar vesicles. Paramyxoviruses include measles, mumps, and parainfluenza. The combination of posterior oral lesions with distal extremity vesicles is diagnostic of HFMD.
Reference: Ananthanarayan & Paniker's Textbook of Microbiology, 11th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
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