Enteroviral - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Enteroviral Definition

Any of a subgroup of picornaviruses, including polioviruses, and echoviruses, that infect the gastrointestinal tract and often spread to other areas of the body, especially the nervous system. common cold viruses, the rhinoviruses, as the most common viral infectious agents in humans. Enteroviruses may be found in the respiratory secretions and stool of an infected person.

Non-polio enteroviruses are very common. Sixtythree nonpolio enteroviruses such as coxsackieviruses are very common and cause an estimated 30 million or more infections a year in the United States.

Enteroviral Causes

Nnmerous serotypes of coxsackie A and coxsackie B, echoviruses, and four other enteroviruses cause a variety of diseases such as herpangina, hand-foot-and-mouth disease, epidemic pleurodynia, aseptic meningitis, paralysis, myocarditis, pericarditis, respiratory disease, diarrhea, and conjunctivitis. Mumps may be spread by coughing or contact with secretions from the mouth and airway, with increased incidence in the spring.

Some fungi and mycobacteria can be caused aseptic meningitis, although this is much less common. Aseptic meningitis is an illness characterized by headache, and fever. Certain medications can also cause aseptic meningitis, including antibiotics and some over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications.

Enteroviral Symptoms

Symptoms may become manifested in between 2 to 10 days after infection. Symptoms of nonpolio enteroviral syndromes are usually non-specific. Rarely the heart and brain are affected, as in myocarditis, pericarditis, and encephalitis.

The other symptoms of the enteroviral may be included:

• fever
• chills
• rash
• stiff neck
• headache
• malaise
• myocarditis
• meningitis
• sore throat
• nausea
• vomiting
• drowsiness
• muscle pain
• confusion
• general discomfort
• abdominal pain

Enteroviral Treatments

No specific treatment is available for viral aseptic meningitis.

Rarely the heart and brain are affected, as in myocarditis, pericarditis, and encephalitis.

Supportive therapy consists of analgesic medications and management of complications of encephalitis, if that occurs.