Echovirus

They belong to RNA viruses, in the genus Aphtovirus and contain 33 different serotypes.

Disease

• most infections occur inapparently (without clinical manifestations).
• about 5% of infections have clinical symptoms: febrile illness, myalgia, exanthems, meningitis, encephalitis, diseases of the respiratory and digestive system, pericarditis, hepatitis, pancreatitis,...

Most diseases will have severe consequences.

Pathogenesis

• gate of entry: mainly through food, exceptionally through the respiratory system
• multiplication in cells
• hematogenous spread
• the clinical consequences depend on the place of attachment of the virus and on the individual sensitivity of the individual.
• the virus is intensively secreted from the infected mucosa.

Diagnostics

• incubation from nasopharyngeal swabs, from stool, or from cerebrospinal fluid on cell cultures from monkey kidneys, or on mice.
• serological diagnosis using a neutralization test.

Epidemiology

The source of the virus is an infected person, who is already infectious at the end of the incubation period (3 to 7 days). The disease occurs mainly in summer and early autumn.

Links

References

• JIŘÍ, Horáček. Základy lékařské mikrobiologie. 1. edition. Praha : Karolinum, 2000. 309 pp. vol. 1. ISBN 80-246-0006-4.