Enterovirus: What Everyone Should Know

Enterovirus is capturing the attention of everyone; but what is it, who is affected by it, and can it be treated and/or prevented? Like any virus the enterovirus has many different strains. The strain capturing everyone’s attention lately is human enterovirus 68 (HEV68). This strain was first detected in California in 1962 (Oberste et al., 2004). Most cases of HEV68 are mild and do not require medical attention, however some can become severe and may cause serious heart or brain infections according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website (Updated September 8, 2014). HEV68 is a respiratory illness that can mimic the human rhinoviruses with symptoms such as fever, runny nose, sneezing and coughing (CDC, 2014). Most people who become infected with the enterovirus do not require treatment as it is a self-limiting illness, but for others treatment in a hospital setting is necessary (Rotbart & Webster, 2001). Rarely is the illness fatal, though there have been some deaths attributed to the virus (Imamura et al., 2011).