Echovirus

A group of viruses found in the gastrointestinal tract. The "echo" part of the name stands for enteric cytopathic human orphan viruses. "Orphan" implied that they were viruses not associated with any disease. However, it is now known that echoviruses can cause a number of different diseases including rashes, diarrhea, respiratory infections (the common cold, sore throat, bronchitis, and bronchiolitis), myositis (muscle inflammation), meningitis, encephalitis, and pericarditis (inflammation of the membrane around the heart).

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SYN: ECHO virus.

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echo·vi·rus 'ek-ō-.vī-rəs n any of numerous serotypes of a picornavirus of the genus Enterovirus (species Human enterovirus B) that are closely related to the coxsackieviruses, are found in the gastrointestinal tract, cause cytopathic changes in cells in tissue culture, and are sometimes associated with respiratory ailments and meningitis

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n.

one of a group of about 30 RNA-containing viruses, originally isolated from the human intestinal tract, that were found to produce pathological changes in cells grown in culture, although they were not clearly associated with any specific disease. These viruses - which were accordingly termed enteric cytopathic human orphan viruses - are now more commonly known as Coxsackie virus. Compare reovirus.

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echo·vi·rus (ekґo-vi″rəs) [enteric cytopathic human orphan + virus] any of numerous species and strains of the family Picornaviridae, some of which cause aseptic meningitis or a febrile rash; they have now been renamed and assigned to the genera Enterovirus and Parechovirus. echoviral adj