[Human enteroviruses and respiratory infections]

Abstract

Enteroviruses (EV) (Picornaviridae) are common infectious agents divided into 4 species, including 108 serotypes and responsible for a wide range of human pathologies including upper and lower respiratory tract infections occurring in adults and infants. Recent clinical studies indicated that these viruses are considered as the third etiological cause of bronchiolitis in young infants aged 1-12 months. Moreover, several clinical case studies reported the etiological role of the coxsackievirus A16 (CV-A16), the enterovirus 71 (EV-71) and of a newly discovered genotype (EV-104) in the development of acute or fatal pneumonia indicating that EV belonging to species A to C can be responsible for severe lower respiratory tract infections in immunocompetent infants or adults. Taking into account these recent epidemiological and clinical data and because of frequent mutations and intra-species enteroviral RNA genomic recombination events, the EV respiratory strains have to be considered as potential agents of further emerging infectious diseases in human populations.