Molecular study of Enterovirus70 and 71 as prospective cause of eye infections in Thi Qar province

Background: Enteroviruses 70,71, are members of the enterovirus genus which belong to the Picornaviridae Family. These small, non-enveloped viruses carry a positive-sense single- stranded RNA genome lives in the digestive system and can cause different diseases when they spread to other organs. Objectives: This study aims at molecular detection of Enteroviruses 70,71 by RT-PCR. Enterovirus 70 and 71 were isolated from the eyes of individuals of different ages. Methods: In this study a total of 120conjunctival swab samples were collected from patient with suspected eye infections. Traditional laboratory and molecular methods were used for enterovirus70 and 71 identifications. Results: The results showed that the highest incidence of Enterovirus infection was observed in the age group of 1 to 10 years 71 infection (14.2%) was in the age group of 1 to 10 years, with 8(47.1%) positive cases recorded. results showed that the highest incidence of Enterovirus 70 infection was among the age group of 1 to 10 years, with 9(47.4%) positive cases detected in the examined samples. Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate a link between Enterovirus 70 and 71 infections and the occurrence of eye inflammations among children in Thi- Qar province.