Enterovirus D-68: an emerging cause of infection

Abstract

The outbreak of Enterovirus D-68 (EV-D68) in the United States in 2014 raised great interest due to it affecting large numbers of people and because patients presented with severe respiratory and/or central nervous system involvement. Many studies have tried to evaluate the biologic and genetic characteristics of this virus, its association with disease development and the possibility of infection prevention and therapy. The main aim of this paper is to discuss what is presently known and what might be expected in the future regarding EV-D68. We highlight that further studies are needed to precisely define the epidemiology and total burden of EV-D68, the real age prevalence, and the factors that may lead to negative outcomes in some patients and not in others. Moreover, if recently reported clinical data are confirmed, specific efficacious prophylactic and therapeutic measures should be urgently developed.

Keywords: EV-D68; Enterovirus D-68; emerging viruses; meningitis; poliovirus.