The Echovirus Antibodies IgM test is no longer performed at Diagnostiki Athinon. Instead, the newer Echovirus Neutralizing Antibodies test is performed.
Echo viruses (31 serotypes), as well as Coxsackie A viruses (23 serotypes) and Coxsackie B viruses (6 serotypes), belong to the genus Enterovirus of the family Picornaviridae. The Picornaviridae family also includes the three serotypes of Polioviruses (polio). These groups of viruses have similar chemical, physical, biological, and epidemiological characteristics; they have a worldwide spread, and they are transmitted mainly by the fecal-oral route, but they are also capable of being transmitted through airborne droplets. Transmission from person to person is done through either the digestive or respiratory systems. Viruses reach the reticuloendothelial system and other target organs through the bloodstream, such as the myocardium, the meninges, or the skin.
Echo infections, like other enteroviruses, cause mild nonspecific symptoms of malaise, with a low fever and sometimes skin rashes. Rarely, they can cause more severe illnesses such as liver failure, myocarditis, pericarditis, and meningitis.
Detecting specific IgM antibodies or the rising titer of IgG antibodies can confirm an acute Echovirus infection. The highest incidence of IgM-positive titers is found in children between one and ten years old. IgM antibodies are usually detected for a period of six to eight weeks. In rare cases, high IgM antibody titers can last up to six months after aseptic meningitis or three to six months after pericarditis. Patients with recurrent pericarditis may have detected IgM antibodies for over five years.
