Echovirus

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Echovirus

Echovirus (pronounced: eh-koh-vi-rus) is a type of enterovirus that is commonly associated with various human diseases. The term "echovirus" is an acronym for Enteric Cytopathic Human Orphan virus. The term "orphan virus" was used because when the virus was discovered, it was not associated with any known disease.

Etymology

The term "echovirus" is derived from the initials Enteric Cytopathic Human Orphan, with "enteric" referring to the intestine, "cytopathic" meaning causing cell disease, and "orphan" indicating it was not originally associated with any specific disease.

Related Terms

  • Enterovirus: A genus of positive-sense single-stranded RNA viruses associated with several human and mammalian diseases.
  • Virus: A submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism.
  • Infection: The invasion of an organism's body tissues by disease-causing agents, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agents and the toxins they produce.
  • Disease: A particular abnormal condition that negatively affects the structure or function of all or part of an organism, and that is not due to any immediate external injury.

Diseases Associated with Echovirus

Echoviruses are responsible for a variety of diseases, including but not limited to:

  • Meningitis: An acute inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known collectively as the meninges.
  • Encephalitis: Inflammation of the brain, often due to infection.
  • Myocarditis: Inflammation of the heart muscle.
  • Pericarditis: Inflammation of the pericardium, the protective sac surrounding the heart.
  • Gastroenteritis: Inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract that involves both the stomach and the small intestine.

Prevention and Treatment

There is currently no specific treatment for echovirus infection. Management of the disease focuses on relieving symptoms and supporting the patient's recovery. Prevention strategies include good personal hygiene, such as regular hand washing, and avoiding close contact with people who are infected.

External links

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