Echovirus

ECHO virus
Virus classification
Group:	Group IV ((+)ssRNA)
Order:	Picornavirales
Family:	Picornaviridae
Genus:	Enterovirus
Species:	Enterovirus B
Subtype
ECHO virus

ECHO virus

An ECHO (enteric cytopathic human orphan) virus is a type of RNA virus that belongs to the species Enterovirus B, genus Enterovirus of the Picornaviridae family. Echoviruses are found in the gastrointestinal tract (hence it being part of the enterovirus genus) and exposure to the virus causes other opportunistic infections and diseases.

The first isolation of echoviruses occurred from the faeces of asymptomatic children early in the 1950s, just after cell culturing had been developed. The echo– part of the name was originally an acronym for "enteric cytopathic human orphan" virus: Orphan virus means a virus that is not associated with any known disease. Even though Echoviruses have since been identified with various diseases, the original name is still used.

Echovirus is highly infectious, and its primary target is children. The echovirus is among the leading causes of acute febrile illness in infants and young children, and is the most common cause of aseptic meningitis. Infection of an infant with this virus following birth may cause severe systemic diseases, and is associated with high infant mortality rates. The echovirus can mimic symptoms caused by other common bacterial and viral infections.

An echovirus measures 24-30 nanometres (nm), and is similar to other viruses, since it has a naked protein capsid, which makes up 75% of the virus particle that encloses a dense central core of single-stranded RNA. This RNA has a length of approximately 7.5 kilobase (kb), contains an RNA replicase, viral-coded proteins, and a single polyprotein that is responsible for the formation of structural proteins and other proteins necessary for cellular replication. The structural proteins determine host range and play a very important role in delivering the RNA genome into the cytoplasm of new host cells.

...
Wikipedia