Echovirus is a genus of viruses belonging to the Picornaviridae family, which includes numerous enteroviruses that can cause a wide range of illnesses in humans and animals. The name is derived from the acronym “enteric cytopathic human orphan”, referencing the virus’s ability to cause cytopathic effects in cell cultures and its orphanage, as it has no known animal reservoir (Kirchner, 2017).
Echoviruses are small, non-enveloped viruses with a circular single-stranded RNA genome, and are the second most common cause of viral meningitis in humans. Although they are often asymptomatic, echoviruses can cause a wide variety of illnesses such as fever, aseptic meningitis, encephalitis, myocarditis, and paralysis (Kirchner, 2017). They are particularly prevalent in children, and are transmitted through contact with contaminated food, water, or direct contact with an infected person (Gallagher & Harrison, 2019).
Echoviruses are generally not associated with severe illness, and many infections are self-limiting (Gallagher & Harrison, 2019). Treatment is typically supportive, including rest, hydration, and analgesics, as there are no specific antiviral drugs available for echovirus infections (Kirchner, 2017). However, in some cases, such as in cases of encephalitis, antiviral therapy may be required (Gallagher & Harrison, 2019).
In addition to humans, echoviruses can also infect animals, such as pigs, horses, dogs, cats, and birds (Kirchner, 2017). In these cases, symptoms can vary depending on the species and may include fever, diarrhea, vomiting, anorexia, and respiratory diseases (Gallagher & Harrison, 2019). Treatment is typically supportive, and in some cases, antiviral drugs may be used (Kirchner, 2017).
In conclusion, echoviruses are small, non-enveloped viruses belonging to the Picornaviridae family that can cause a wide variety of illnesses in humans and animals. Although they are often asymptomatic, they can cause illnesses such as fever, aseptic meningitis, encephalitis, myocarditis, and paralysis. Treatment is typically supportive, and in some cases, antiviral drugs may be used.
References
Gallagher, J., & Harrison, L. (2019). Echovirus infection. In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532032/
Kirchner, J. T. (2017). Echovirus. In Encyclopedia of Virology (Third Edition) (pp. 127-134). Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-809324-5.00225-9