ABSTRACT
Enteroviruses are a subfamily of Picornaviridae that are currently classified on the basis of genomic sequence similarity and organization. Human enteroviruses are distributed worldwide with the majority of infections in temperate climates seen in the Spring to Fall months, whereas infections are endemic and year round in tropical climates. They are chiefly spread via fecal-oral contamination. A variety of neurological disorders may arise from enteroviral infection including meningitis, encephalitis, rhombencephalitis, and the most historically feared, poliomyelitis, a paralytic disease due to infection of spinal anterior horn cells. Additionally, a number of other neurological disorders, such as opsoclonus-myoclonus, Parkinsonism, and Guillain–Barre syndrome, may also arise from enteroviral infection, but these are quite rare. While effective global vaccination efforts have resulted in the near disappearance of poliomyelitis worldwide, in the recent past, an illness similar to poliomyelitis occurring in children and referred to as “acute flaccid myelitis” (AFM) has been linked to enterovirus D68 and enterovirus D71, among other viruses. There are no effective FDA-approved antiviral treatments for enteroviral infections. Good hygiene practice is critical for controlling enteroviral epidemics. Vaccination is only available for poliovirus.
