An Enterovirus is a virus that enters the body through the gastrointestinal tract and thrives there, often moving on to attack the nervous system.
Enteroviruses are small viruses that are made of ribonucleic acid (RNA) and protein.
In addition to the three different polioviruses, there are 61 non-polio enteroviruses that can cause disease in humans: 29 Coxsackieviruses (23 Coxsackie A viruses and 6 Coxsackie B viruses), 28 echoviruses, and 4 other enteroviruses.
Enteroviruses can be found in the respiratory secretions (e.g., saliva, sputum, or nasal mucus) and stool of an infected person. Other persons may become infected by direct contact with secretions from an infected person or by contact with contaminated surfaces or objects, such as a drinking glass or telephone.
Infection is common but most frequent in summer and autumn in temperate climates but all year round in the tropics. They tend to affect those under 16 but adults are also affected. Spread is usually from the faeco-oral route with an incubation period of 2 to 6 days. Most people who are infected with an enterovirus have no disease at all.
Rarely, a person may develop an illness that affects the heart (myocarditis) or the brain (encephalitis) or causes paralysis.
Enterovirus infections are suspected to play a role in the development of juvenile-onset diabetes mellitus (type 1 diabetes). Newborns who become infected with an enterovirus may rarely develop an overwhelming infection of many organs, including the liver and heart, and die from the infection. | 
Phlebotomy