Journal Article

Enteroviruses as agents of emerging infectious diseases

Palacios, G, Oberste, MS

2005

Overview

Although the enteroviruses as a group are ubiquitous and not normally considered as \"emerging pathogens,\" the many different serotypes circulate at different frequencies in any given year and the prevalence of a given serotype may fluctuate wildly from year to year. As a result, several enterovirus serotypes have been associated with the emergence of specific diseases (for example, pandemic acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis) and specific serotypes have emerged to cause outbreaks of major public health concern. Enterovirus 71 is a recognized cause of epidemic severe central nervous system disease in Southeast Asia. Acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis was a newly described disease in the 1970s associated with emergence of enterovirus 70 and coxsackievirus A24 variant. In addition, the impending eradication of poliovirus and some of the challenges currently faced by the eradication program present the possibility that poliomyelitis could emerge in the posteradication era. These links between enterovirus infections and emerging diseases are reviewed.

• Publisher: Informa UK Ltd,Taylor & Francis,Nature Publishing Group
• Subject: Animals / Biological and medical sciences / Central nervous system / Central nervous system diseases / Communicable Diseases, Emerging - epidemiology / Communicable Diseases, Emerging - virology / Conjunctivitis / Conjunctivitis, Acute Hemorrhagic - epidemiology / Conjunctivitis, Acute Hemorrhagic - virology / Coxsackievirus / Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases / Disease Outbreaks / Disease Reservoirs / Enterovirus / Enterovirus - classification / Enterovirus - genetics / Enterovirus - isolation & purification / Enterovirus C, Human - isolation & purification / Enterovirus D, Human - isolation & purification / Enterovirus Infections - epidemiology / Enterovirus Infections - virology / Enteroviruses / Epidemics / Eradication / Global Health / Headache. Facial pains. Syncopes. Epilepsia. Intracranial hypertension. Brain oedema. Cerebral palsy / Hemorrhage / Human viral diseases / Humans / Infectious diseases / Medical sciences / Molecular Epidemiology / Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes) / Neurology / Poliomyelitis / Poliomyelitis - epidemiology / Poliomyelitis - virology / Poliovirus / Poliovirus - isolation & purification / Public health / RNA, Viral - genetics / Serotypes / Species Specificity / Swine Vesicular Disease - epidemiology / Swine Vesicular Disease - virology / Viral diseases / Viral diseases of the nervous system