09 Nov Taking a Closer Look at Enteroviruses

Enteroviruses (EVs) are one of the most prevalent viruses worldwide and several of them are important human pathogens. Despite causing some of the world’s well-known diseases such as meningitis, hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD), and conjunctivitis, there is currently no available vaccinations and treatments against these viruses. At OrganoVIR, our researchers took a closer look at Enteroviruses to understand its prevalence and to propel the development of treatments against this potentially deadly virus.

Currently, there are 106 types of Enteroviruses (EVs) known to infect humans, plenty of which are detected on a global scale. Understanding Enteroviruses is important to define its significance and to assist in the process of generating treatments. Insight in the global prevalence of EVs is important to define their clinical significance, total disease burden and assists in making therapeutic decisions.

Although several studies have been conducted to understand the epidemiology of EVs in subpopulations and cohorts, there has been limited effort to comprehend the available evidence. In the publication titled “World-Wide Prevalence and Genotype Distribution of Enteroviruses” (click to access), our researchers (Giulia Moreni, Katja Wolthers, and Dasja Pajkrt) and Lieke Bouwers researched articles published in the PubMed and Embase (Ovid) databases and identified 153 studies reporting prevalence and distribution of EVs. Through researching articles published in the PubMed and Embase (Ovid) databases and identifying 153 studies reporting the prevalence and distribution of EVs, they discovered just how globally widespread EVs are.

Enteroviruses are prevalent in all continents. For instance, Enterovirus B is detected worldwide. Meanwhile, Enterovirus C group is often detected in Africa and Enterovirus A is more likely to be detected in Asia. Recently, our researchers, Mariana Soares Guedes and Caroline Tapparel, took a closer look at the Enterovirus D group, the causative agent of various infectious diseases despite comprising only five known members. These particular viruses have a diverse host range and tissue tropism, and include types infecting non-human primates and/or humans. In humans, Enterovirus D typically infects the eye, respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, and nervous system. In their publication, titled “Enterovirus D: A Small but Versatile Species” (click to access), Mariana, Caroline and other researchers highlights the peculiarities of Enterovirus D while focusing on genome organization, functional elements, receptor usage, and pathogenesis.

To gain more detailed insight on Enteroviruses (on its global prevalence and Enterovirus D), you can access our researchers’ publications, through the links provided above or through the buttons below: