Innate Immunity and Predicting Severe Enterovirus 71-Infected Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease

Abstract

Enterovirus is a contagious disease that causes hand, foot, and mouth disease; primarily found in
infants and young children (often in those under 5 years old). The main cause of outbreaks is usually
due to infection with Enterovirus A71 (EV-A71). In some patients with hand, foot, and mouth disease,
severe neurological complications may occur, such as meningitis, myocarditis, and acute flaccid paralysis,
and it can often lead to death. This review article stated the role of EV-A71 viral proteins in the innate
immune response, the pathophysiology of cytokines and chemokines in EV-A71 infected individuals, the
symptoms observed during the four stages of the disease, as well as laboratory findings related to the infection.
Monitoring clinical symptoms alongside neurological test results cannot timely track and indicate
the severity that arises, particularly in cases with severe complications. Studying laboratory biomarkers
associated with the severity and progression of the disease during EV-A71 infection may be useful to
predict the level of severity of hand, foot, and mouth disease.