Echovirus is a

polyphyletic A polyphyletic group is an assemblage of organisms or other evolving elements that is of mixed evolutionary origin. The term is often applied to groups that share similar features known as homoplasies, which are explained as a result of conver ...

group of

virus A virus is a submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism. Viruses infect all life forms, from animals and plants to microorganisms, including bacteria and archaea. Since Dmitri Ivanovsk ...

es associated with

enteric The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The GI tract contains all the major organs of the digestive system, in humans and ...

disease in humans. The name is derived from "enteric cytopathic human orphan virus". These viruses were originally not associated with disease, but many have since been identified as disease-causing agents. The term "echovirus" was used in the scientific names of numerous species, but all echoviruses are now recognized as strains of various species, most of which are in the family ''

Picornaviridae Picornaviruses are a group of related nonenveloped RNA viruses which infect vertebrates including fish, mammals, and birds. They are viruses that represent a large family of small, positive-sense, single-stranded RNA viruses with a 30&nbs ...

''.

List of echoviruses

Thirty-four echoviruses are known: * Human echoviruses 1–7, 9, 11–21, 24–27, and 29–33 are strains of the species '' Enterovirus B'' of the genus ''

Enterovirus ''Enterovirus'' is a genus of positive-sense single-stranded RNA viruses associated with several human and mammalian diseases. Enteroviruses are named by their transmission-route through the intestine ('enteric' meaning intestinal). Serologic ...

''. * Human echovirus 8 was shown to be identical to Human echovirus 1 and was abolished as a species. * Human echovirus 10 was reclassified as a strain of the species ''Reovirus type 1'', currently named '' Mammalian orthoreovirus'' of the genus ''

Orthoreovirus ''Orthoreovirus'' is a genus of viruses, in the family ''Reoviridae'', in the subfamily '' Spinareovirinae''. Vertebrates serve as natural hosts. There are ten species in this genus. Diseases associated with this genus include mild upper respirat ...

'', which belongs to the family ''

Reoviridae ''Reoviridae'' is a family of double-stranded RNA viruses. Member viruses have a wide host range, including vertebrates, invertebrates, plants, protists and fungi. They lack lipid envelopes and package their segmented genome within multi-layere ...

''. As such, Human echovirus 10 is the only echovirus that does not belong to the family ''

''. * Human echoviruses 22 and 23 are strains of the species '' Parechovirus A'' of the genus '' Parechovirus''. * Human echovirus 28 was reclassified as the species ''Human rhinovirus 1A'', which was later merged with other rhinovirus strains into the currently named species '' Rhinovirus A'' of the genus ''

''. * Human echovirus 34 was abolished as a species and reclassified as a strain of '' Human coxsackievirus A24'', which is now classified as a strain of the species '' Enterovirus C'' of the genus ''Enterovirus''.

Symptoms

When one is infected with echovirus, symptoms are rare but can occur. When symptoms occur, they often include a

cough A cough is a sudden expulsion of air through the large breathing passages that can help clear them of fluids, irritants, foreign particles and microbes. As a protective reflex, coughing can be repetitive with the cough reflex following three ph ...

rash A rash is a change of the human skin which affects its color, appearance, or texture. A rash may be localized in one part of the body, or affect all the skin. Rashes may cause the skin to change color, itch, become warm, bumpy, chapped, dry, c ...

, and influenza-like symptoms. Rare symptoms include

viral meningitis Viral meningitis, also known as aseptic meningitis, is a type of meningitis due to a viral infection. It results in inflammation of the meninges (the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord). Symptoms commonly include headache, fever, sen ...

, which affects the brain and spinal cord.

Treatment

Echovirus infection mostly clears up on its own. Doctors may give an immune-system treatment called

IVIG Immunoglobulin therapy is the use of a mixture of antibodies (normal human immunoglobulin or NHIG) to treat several health conditions. These conditions include primary immunodeficiency, immune thrombocytopenic purpura, chronic inflammatory ...

, which can help those with weak immune systems. No medicines are known to help against the virus.

References

{{Reflist Infraspecific virus taxa Obsolete virus taxa Unaccepted virus taxa