One of the two subgroups of human picornaviruses. Enteroviruses include the polioviruses, the coxsackieviruses, and the echoviruses. They are small (17–28 nanometers in diameter), contain ribonucleic acid (RNA), and are resistant to ether. The enteroviruses multiply chiefly in the alimentary tract. The polioviruses, most echoviruses, and a number of the coxsackieviruses can be grown in cell cultures of monkey origin, as well as in human cells.

Enteroviruses are widespread during summer and fall in temperate climates, but may circulate throughout the year in tropical areas. The majority of enterovirus infections are benign and inapparent. However, when these viruses invade tissues other than the enteric tract, serious diseases may result, as when poliovirus invades the spinal cord or when some of the coxsackievirus types invade the heart muscle. Animal virus Coxsackievirus Echovirus Picornaviridae Poliomyelitis Rhinovirus