Enterovirus D68: molecular biological characteristics, features of infection

Abstract

Human enteroviruses (genus Enterovirus, family Picornaviridae) are infectious agents characterized by a wide range of clinical manifestations. EV-D68, associated with respiratory and neurological diseases, plays a significant role in human pathology. The virus was discovered in 1962 and has long been detected only sporadically, but since the late 2000s there has been a steady increase in cases of detection of the virus in different countries of the world. A large-scale outbreak of EV-D68 infection occurred in the United States in 2014. The virus is characterized by unique biological properties, combining the characteristics of enteroviruses and rhinoviruses, has a significant genetic diversity and is currently represented by strains of four main phylogenetic lines. Due to the acid sensitivity, the main place of virus replication are epithelial cells of the respiratory tract. EV-D68 causes mainly pathology of the upper and lower respiratory tract of varying severity, but there are numerous data on the connection of the virus with the occurrence of acute flaccid paralysis and exacerbations of asthma. The risk groups for the disease EV-D68 infection are different age groups of the population, mainly young children. The analytical review provides information on the taxonomic position and classification history, the structural structure of the virion and genome, and the genetic diversity of the virus. Much of the material is devoted to clinical and epidemiological aspects of infection. The issues of the current state of specific prevention and therapy of EV-D68 infection are highlighted. Information on approaches and methods of virus identification is given.