Neurotropic Enterovirus Infections in the Central Nervous System

• Published in: Viruses Vol. 7; no. 11; pp. 6051 - 6066
• Main Authors: Huang, Hsing-I, Shih, Shin-Ru
• Format: Journal Article Book Review
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 24.11.2015; MDPI
• Subjects: central nervous system; Central Nervous System Infections - epidemiology; Central Nervous System Infections - virology; Disease Outbreaks; enterovirus; Enterovirus - isolation & purification; Enterovirus - pathogenicity; Enterovirus - physiology; Enterovirus Infections - epidemiology; Enterovirus Infections - virology; Global Health; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Humans; neurotropism; pathogenesis; Review; Viral Tropism; neurotropism; pathogenesis; enterovirus; central nervous system
• ISSN: 1999-4915; 1999-4915
• DOI: 10.3390/v7112920

Enteroviruses are a group of positive-sense single stranded viruses that belong to the Picornaviridae family. Most enteroviruses infect humans from the gastrointestinal tract and cause mild symptoms. However, several enteroviruses can invade the central nervous system (CNS) and result in various neurological symptoms that are correlated to mortality associated with enteroviral infections. In recent years, large outbreaks of enteroviruses occurred worldwide. Therefore, these neurotropic enteroviruses have been deemed as re-emerging pathogens. Although these viruses are becoming large threats to public health, our understanding of these viruses, especially for non-polio enteroviruses, is limited. In this article, we review recent advances in the trafficking of these pathogens from the peripheral to the central nervous system, compare their cell tropism, and discuss the effects of viral infections in their host neuronal cells.