Coxsackievirus A16

Etiology/Bacteriology

Taxonomy

ssRNA positive-strand viruses, no DNA stage | Order = Picornavirales | Family = Picornaviridae | Genus = Enterovirus | species = Enterovirus A
{|NCBI: Taxonomy Genome: Genome|}

Description

Coxsackievirus belongs in the Picornaviridae family that includes polioviruses and non-polioviruses. The Coxsackievirus is a non-poliovirus. Coxsackieviruses have two groups, group A and group B. Group A includes Coxsackievirus A16 (CA16), which is a common cause of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) in children under the age of 10. CA16 is a small, non-enveloped, icosahedral particle with a single positive-stranded genomic RNA. Some symptoms that might occur are fevers, rashes on hands and feet, and blister like sores in the mouth. The symptoms last around a week, and then disappear. CA16 is transmitted via the fecal-oral route, or oral-oral route. Although there are HFMD cases around the world, Asia currently has the most outbreaks. CA16 causes a mild and, sometimes, asymptomatic version of HFMD. Serious cases lead to meningitis, conjunctivitis, myocarditis, and pericarditis.