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The Enteroviridae are single-stranded RNA viruses in the Picornaviridae family notable for their ability to cause a wide range of diseases, with more severe disease manifestations in the immunocompromised host. Humans are the reservoir for Enteroviridae, and person-to-person transmission occurs via the fecal-oral or respiratory route. Intact innate immune response including NK cells and macrophages plays an important role during the initial phase of infection followed by T- and B-cell adaptive immunity, which is central in effective viral clearance. Enteroviral infections peak in the summer and fall months. Poliovirus classically causes a paralytic poliomyelitis with weakness and paralysis. Other enteroviral diseases include upper respiratory infections, HFMD, herpangina, myositis, myocarditis, aseptic meningitis, encephalitis, as well as a flaccid paralysis similar to poliovirus infection. Patients with B-cell immune defects including agammaglobulinemia are susceptible to chronic enterovirus infections including chronic meningoencephalitis. Patients undergoing HSCT may develop potentially life-threatening gastroenteritis and viral pneumonitis. No antiviral therapy is currently available; IVIG therapy is suggested for patients with enteroviral myocarditis and encephalitis. A comprehensive review of enteroviral illness is presented in the transplant population.

DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9034-4_42