Public health impact of the Enteroviruses and Parechoviruses

Abstract

Enteroviruses (EV) comprise viruses originally classified on cell culture replication patterns and clinical manifestations into a number of groups: poliovirus, coxsackievirus A, coxsackievirus B and ECHOvirus. The closely related genus Parechovirus has more recently been associated with human disease. EVs are common commensals of the human gut, often found without any ill effects on the person, but are also associated with a wide range of diseases and syndromes including non-specific rash illnesses, hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), conjunctivitis, meningitis and encephalitis, myocarditis and polio. This results in a significant burden of disease worldwide, often due to a particular genotype of EV. An estimated 1 billion people are infected with EV every year.