Enteroviruses

Non-polio enteroviruses are very common viruses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). They cause about 10 to 15 million infections in the United States each year. Tens of thousands of people are hospitalized each year for illnesses caused by enteroviruses.

Anyone can get infected with non-polio enteroviruses. But infants, children, and teenagers are more likely to get infected and become sick. That's because they do not yet have immunity (Read about "The Immune System") from previous exposures to the viruses.

A specific enterovirus - enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) - was in the news in 2014, when there was an increase in the number of reported illnesses, especially among children and those with asthma. (Read about "Asthma") This virus was first identified in California in 1962.

Most people who get infected with non-polio enteroviruses do not get sick. Or, they may have mild illness, like the common cold. (Read about "The Common Cold") But some people can get very sick and have infection of their heart or brain or even become paralyzed. Infants and people with weakened immune systems have a greater chance of having these complications.

You can get infected with non-polio enteroviruses by having close contact with an infected person. You can also get infected by touching objects or surfaces that have the virus on them, and then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes.

In the United States, people are more likely to get infected with non-polio enteroviruses in the summer and fall, according to CDC.

Most people who are infected with non-polio enteroviruses do not get sick, or they only have mild illness. Symptoms of mild illness may include:

• fever
• runny nose, sneezing, cough
• skin rash (Read about "Skin Rash")
• mouth blisters
• body and muscle aches

Some non-polio enterovirus infections can cause

• viral conjunctivitis (Read about "Conjunctivitis")
• hand, foot, and mouth disease (Read about "Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease")
• viral meningitis (Read about "Encephalitis & Meningitis")

Less commonly, a person may develop:

• myocarditis (infection of the heart)
• pericarditis (infection of the sac around the heart)
• encephalitis
• paralysis

People who develop myocarditis may have heart failure and require long term care. (Read about "Congestive Heart Failure") Some people who develop encephalitis or paralysis may not fully recover.

Newborns infected with non-polio enterovirus may develop sepsis. (Read about "Sepsis") But this is very rare.

Non-polio enterovirus infections may play a role in the development of type 1 diabetes in children. (Read about "Diabetes")

Transmission

Non-polio enteroviruses can be found in an infected person's feces, eyes, nose, and mouth secretions (such as saliva, nasal mucus, or sputum), or blister fluid

You can get exposed to the virus by:

• having close contact, such as touching or shaking hands, with an infected person,
• touching objects or surfaces that have the virus on them
• changing diapers of an infected person
• drinking water that has the virus in it

If you then touch your eyes, nose, or mouth before washing your hands, you can get infected with the virus and become sick.

Pregnant women who are infected with non-polio enterovirus shortly before delivery can pass the virus to their babies. (Read about "Childbirth" "Healthy Pregnancy") Mothers who are breastfeeding should talk with their doctor if they are sick or think they may have an infection. (Read about "Breastfeeding")

Non-polio enterovirus can be shed (passed from a person's body into the environment) in your stool for several weeks or longer after you have been infected. The virus can be shed from your respiratory tract for 1 to 3 weeks or less. Infected people can shed the virus even if they don't have symptoms.

There is no vaccine to protect you from non-polio enterovirus infection. (Read about "Immunizations")

Since many infected people do not have symptoms, it is difficult to prevent non-polio enteroviruses from spreading.

You can help protect yourself and others from non-polio enterovirus infections by washing your hands often with soap and water, especially after using the toilet and changing diapers, avoiding close contact, such as touching and shaking hands, with people who are sick, and cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces.

There is no specific treatment for non-polio enterovirus infection. People with mild illness caused by non-polio enterovirus infection typically only need symptom treatment. They usually recover completely. However, some illnesses caused by non-polio enteroviruses can be severe enough to require hospitalization.

If you are concerned about your symptoms, you should contact your healthcare provider.