Test Your Knowledge

There are two major types of enteroviruses: polioviruses and nonpolio enteroviruses.

There are three polioviruses that each cause poliomyelitis, a condition in which infected nerves cause temporary or permanent paralysis and even death. These viruses have been eliminated from the Western Hemisphere, the Western Pacific and European regions as a result of widespread use of polio vaccines. However, polioviruses remain problematic in certain other areas of the word (e.g., India).

On the other hand, there are more than 60 nonpolio enteroviruses. They can cause fever and other illnesses. Nonpolio enteroviruses include:

• Coxsackie viruses. Named after Coxsackie, New York, where these viruses were first discovered. These nonpolio enteroviruses include 23 coxsackie A viruses and 6 coxsackie B viruses.
  
  
• Echoviruses. There are 28 of these enteric cytopathic human orphan (echo) viruses.
  
  
• Several other nonpolio enteroviruses remain unclassified.