Prevalence and Genetic Diversity of Human Enteroviruses in the Context of Poliovirus Eradication

Viruses belonging to the family Picornaviridae are small, non-enveloped viruses with a single-stranded, positive-sense RNA genome. Up to present, thirteen genera within this large family have been designated by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses: Aphtovirus, Erbovirus, Teschovirus, Sapelovirus, Senecavirus, Tremovirus, Avihepatovirus, Cardiovirus, Hepatovirus, Cosavirus, Parechovirus, Kobuvirus and Enterovirus (Fig. 1). Members within the latter six genera have been reported to cause human disease. Enteroviruses are, next to viruses of the Herpesviridae family, the major viral cause of neurologic disease with a known etiology in humans, including meningitis, encephalitis and acute flaccid paralysis (24, 38, 47). By that they form a serious threat for human health. A well known representative of these is poliovirus (species Human enterovirus C), which has inextricably been associated with large outbreaks of neurologic disease in children. This thesis will focus on prevalence and genetic diversity of human enteroviruses (belonging to species A to D) in the context of poliovirus eradication.

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