TAIPEI, Taiwan - As if getting a gastrointestinal infection isn't bad enough, many children recovering from the enterovirus had to watch their fingernails and toenails fall off one by one, to the shock and dismay of their parents.

The most affected group of the prevalent enterovirus is children under the age of six. As the virus is more or less cyclical, the last outbreak saw mainly children age three to five infected.

However, as the kids had been treated and on their way to recovery, parents were shocked to discover that their kids had lost almost all their fingernails and toenails.

Lin Ta-hsiung, head of the pediatrics department at Mackay Memorial Hospital, traced the problem to hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), which is a syndrome caused by intestinal viruses.

As HFMD causes rashes and blisters on the hand and foot, Lin explained that the healing process, during which blisters dry up and peel away, can also take with it the majority of nails.

Lin said the infected children likely had blisters growing directly on the fingers near the cuticle. As the enterovirus is treated and the children heal, blisters on the nails begin to dry up, often resulting in ingrown fingernail and toenail disease.

The disease causes nails to gradually come loose and fall off. Children generally do not experience pain in the process, but the visual effect can be shocking. In recent weeks, many parents have sought the opinions of dermatologists and other specialized physicians but reached no conclusions.

Lin identified the pathogenic enterovirus that causes fingernails and toenails to fall off as the Coxsackie B serotype. The biggest Coxsackie B virus outbreak occurred in Spain and Finland and caused widespread infections of HFMD. Around 60 percent of infected children lost all their nails, with the most affected group toddlers below the age of six (95 percent).

Thankfully, fingernail and toenails have fast growth rates of one to two months, according to Lin. To prevent further infections or bleeding, children are advised to wash their hands frequently during this period and not tug at nails coming loose.