The human enterovirus group includes the polioviruses, coxsackieviruses, echoviruses as well as enteroviruses. They are ubiquitous and cause a wide spectrum of both common and uncommon illnesses.
Disease
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majority of infections are symptomatic
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can cause a variety of infections ranging from an acute febrile illness to meningitis, encephalitis and myopericarditis
Mode of transmission
Enteroviruses are shed in the upper respiratory tract
for 1-3 weeks and in the faeces for up to 8 weeks after primary
infection. the faecal-oral route is thought to be the predominant mode
of enterovirus transmission.
Significance in endoscopy
Polioviruses are more resistant to many chemical
disinfectants than the viruses that have a high lipid content (e.g.
HIV). Studies have shown that standard cleaning and disinfection of
endoscopes was totally effective against a heavy viral contamination and
glutaraldehyde rapidly inactivated polio virus even when dried to a
surface in serum.