More than 90 serotypes have been identified.
Includes polioviruses, coxsackieviruses, echoviruses, and newer enteroviruses.
Belongs to the Picornaviridae family
Enterovirus 71 can cause large epidemics of acute illness and is closely related to coxsackievirus A16 another type A enterovirus.
Type A enteroviruses associated with hand, foot and mouth disease which is a self limiting febrile process with papulovesicular lesions of the hands, feet, oropharynx, perineum and buttock regions.
In most cases of enterovirus 71, hand, foot and mouth disease has been a prominent feature although it can manifest associated herpangina, interstitial pneumonia, myocarditis, intrauterine infections and neonatal hepatic necrosis.
Enterovirus 71, like other enteroviruses, can cause aseptic meningitis.
Enterovirus infections are common in children with about 10-15,000,000 children contracting non-polio enterovirus infections in the US/year.
Manifestations of enterovirus infections include: herpangina, hand-foot-mouth disease, meningeal encephalitis, acute flaccid paralysis, hemorrhagic conjunctivitis, myocarditis, pericarditis, and respiratory tract infections.
Childhood enterovirus infections associated with a decreased risk of leukemia in children