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ECHO virus

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• Symptoms
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Definition:

Enteric cytopathic human orphan (ECHO) viruses are a group of enteroviruses that produce varying symptoms including rashes , respiratory illness, croup-like syndromes, and nonspecific fevers.

Alternative Names:

Nonpolio enterovirus infection

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

ECHO virus infections are common and usually take the form of gastrointestinal infection and skin rashes.

More serious infections are seen less frequently but are of significant importance. As many as one out of five cases of aseptic meningitis (a brain infection not caused by bacteria) is thought to be caused by an ECHO virus.

• Review Date: 10/17/2006
• Reviewed By: Benjamin W. Van Voorhees, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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