Enteroviruses belong to the Picornaviridae family and are the smallest, nonenveloped
viruses known to infect both humans and animals. The spread of enteroviral
infections is mainly by the faecal-oral and oral-oral route, but also through direct contact
with secretions from ophthalmic and dermal lesions. Water, food and soil contaminated
by infected feaces are an exogenous infection source which creates many opportunities
for the transfer of the infection, and cause an epidemic outbreak in a short period of time.
Enteroviruses are being isolated from all types of water: ground, sea, sewage and fresh
water environments but also – and what is the most important from the epidemiological
point of view – drinking water. They are resilient organisms, able to withstand high concentrations
of sodium chloride (NaCl) and large changes in temperature. These abilities
allow the viruses to fl ourish in a water environment, their natural reservoir. The number
of infections in temperate climate regions peak in summer months and early autumn.
Detection of enteroviruses in the water environment is performed by virus isolation in
cell cultures and the use of molecular techniques. Many researches conducted in different
countries with the use of methods mentioned above, reveal widespread environmental
contamination by enteroviruses.