Enterovirus 71 - Pathology

Pathology

"The Enterovirus 71 (EV71) infection may be asymptomatic or it may cause diarrhea, rashes, and hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD). However, EV71 also has the potential to cause severe neurological disease. To date, little is known about the molecular mechanisms of the host response to EV71 infection. EV71 infection led to increases in the level of mRNAs encoding chemokines, proteins involved in protein degradation, complement proteins, and proapoptotis proteins."

"Enterovirus 71 (EV71), one of the major causative agents for hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), is sometimes associated with severe central nervous system diseases. In 1997, in Malaysia and Japan, and in 1998 in Taiwan, there were HFMD epidemics involving sudden death among young children, and EV71 was isolated from the HFMD patients, including the fatal cases. The nucleotide sequences of each EV71 isolate were determined and compared by phylogenetical analysis. EV71 strains from previously reported epidemics belonged to genotype A-1, while those from recent epidemics could be divided into two genotypes, A-2 and B."

"Ever since the 1980s, large and small EV71 epidemics caused by distinct genotypes have occurred in Asian countries and regions sharing trade with China. In Hong Kong, sporadic EV71 infections with incidences of monoplegia were reported in 1987, and a fatal case was documented in 2001. A large outbreak of HFMD due to EV71 infection occurred in Taiwan in 1998, including 129,106 case reports, 405 children with severe complications, and more than 80 deaths. After 1998, smaller EV71 epidemics occurred almost annually in Taiwan, primarily associated with EV71 viruses of genotypes C2 and B4. In Malaysia, EV71 outbreaks occurred in 1997 and 2000, mainly associated with genotypes B3 and B4. Since 1997, EV71 epidemics (genotypes B and C) have been reported annually in Singapore, with genotype B4 forming the predominant causative agent of a large outbreak in 2000 (5). In Korea, an EV71 epidemic in 2000 was caused by a relatively new genotype, C3, which has only rarely been identified outside of Korea in recent years (10). Thus, the EV71 genotypes of these HFMD epidemics seem to be regionally and temporally unrestricted."