Non-Polio Enterovirus Infection

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• What is Non-Polio Enterovirus?
• Types of Non-Polio Enterovirus Infections
• Non-Polio Enterovirus Infection Causes and Risk Factors
• What are the Symptoms of Enterovirus?
• Non-Polio Enterovirus Infection Diagnosis
• Non-Polio Enterovirus Treatment
• Non-Polio Enterovirus Infection Home Remedies
• Non-Polio Enterovirus Infection Complications
• Non-Polio Enterovirus Infection During Pregnancy
• Non-Polio Enterovirus Infection Prognosis
• Non-Polio Enterovirus Infection Prevention and Vaccine

• Enteroviruses are common viruses that are spread among people by secretions from the gastrointestinal tract or sometimes by respiratory secretions.
• They are small RNA viruses that belong to the family Picornaviridae and are typically classified as polioviruses or non-polio enteroviruses.
• Poliovirus is the prototypical enterovirus that can cause a broad spectrum of disease ranging from mild infections to meningitis or paralytic poliomyelitis; these viruses are described in detail in other articles.
• Non-polio enteroviruses are the remaining viruses in this group and cause up to 15 million infections per year in the U.S. A number of different viral types belong to the non-polio enteroviruses, including Coxsackieviruses, echoviruses, enterovirus D68, and other enteroviruses.
• Most cases of non-polio enterovirus infection do not produce any symptoms or produce only a mild illness such as a common cold. Non-polio enteroviruses can infect anyone, but most of those who become ill from these infections are children and teenagers, because they have had less time to develop immunity.
• Infections with non-polio enteroviruses in the U.S. are most common in the summer and fall months.

As mentioned previously, most infections with non-polio enteroviruses do not cause symptoms. When symptoms do occur, the clinical presentation depends upon the type of virus as well as factors such as host immunity. Those with weakened immune systems, such as from cancer chemotherapy, are at particular risk for serious infections. Infants are also at risk for serious infections.

Some of the types of infections caused by non-polio enteroviruses are respiratory infections (the common cold), which can be caused by numerous enteroviruses. Meningitis, conjunctivitis, hand, foot, and mouth disease, paralysis, myocarditis, pericarditis, and spastic paralysis are also caused by non-polio enteroviruses.

Non-polio enterovirus infections are transmitted from person to person. The viruses can be found in the bodily fluids (sputum, nasal secretions, saliva, fluid from skin blisters, or feces) of an infected person. Therefore, close contact with an infected person is the biggest risk factor for non-polio enterovirus infection. Other behaviors that increase the risk of infection include touching surfaces or objects contaminated by bodily fluids from an infected person, changing diapers of an infected person, or drinking water that has been contaminated by virus.

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