肠道病毒（Enterovirus）又称肠病毒，是一种主要生长于肠道的RNA病毒，虽然名为肠病毒，在人类却很少出现肠道的病状。在病毒分类中，属于第IV类的RNA病毒。肠道病毒的命名主要以它的英文名称“Enterovirus”的英文简写“EV”，再后缀以数字命名。例如，近年在亚洲和北美洲流行、可以引起手足口病的EV71就是其中的一种。

常见的肠病毒有克沙奇病毒，又称柯萨奇病毒（Coxsackievirus groups A and B）有A型(甲型)23种与B型(乙型)6种，Echovirus伊科病毒31种，和造成小儿麻痹症的Poliovirus脊髓灰质炎病毒三种，以及不分类的肠病毒68~71型。共67种。肠病毒全球皆有分布，而人类是唯一宿主及唯一感染源。 肠病毒具高传染性，主要经由两途径传染，经由吃到被污染的食物、水、玩具、口水等或经由呼吸道(飞沫、咳嗽 等)传染，故为了避免被感染应经常正确洗手尤其吃东西前一定洗手、不吃生食、儿童玩具经常清洗与消毒、室内保持良好的通风环境、流行期间避免到公共场所、感染者尽量在家休息至少3-5天，都是预防肠病毒感染有效途径。大部分的肠病毒感染之临床症状都是轻微的类流感症状，如发烧、喉痛、头痛 、恶心 等，典型的疱疹型咽峡炎及手足口病(hand-foot-mouth disease)有时亦可见。疱疹型咽峡炎典型特征为于咽峡部会出现溃疡或小水泡。手足口病典型特征为在手、脚、口腔有隆起红疹与水泡。大部分的肠病毒感染都属于自限型疾病，给予保守性的疗法如控制发烧、疼痛及适当补充水分、足够休息等即可控制病情。但少部分儿童尤其是五岁以下儿童，肠病毒感染可能会并发重症，尤其是感染肠病毒71型最多见，次为克沙奇病毒。故如有疱疹型咽峡炎或手足口病之特异症状，又合并出现以下重症症状时应尽速就医：1‧神经系统症状包括嗜睡、意识改变、持续恶吐、肌跃型抽槒(myoclonic jerk)、急性肢体麻痹症候群或其他脑炎、脑膜炎症状。2‧心肺系统症状包括呼吸急促、呼吸困难、心跳过快、脸色苍白、发绀、甚至心肺衰竭。

Enteroviruses are a genus of positive-sense single-stranded RNA viruses associated with several human and mammalian diseases. Serologic studies have distinguished 71 human enterovirus serotypes on the basis of antibody neutralization tests. Additional antigenic variants have been defined within several of the serotypes on the basis of reduced or nonreciprocal cross-neutralization between variant strains. On the basis of their pathogenesis in humans and animals, the enteroviruses were originally classified into four groups, polioviruses, Coxsackie A viruses (CA), Coxsackie B viruses (CB), and echoviruses, but it was quickly realized that there were significant overlaps in the biological properties of viruses in the different groups. Enteroviruses isolated more recently are named with a system of consecutive numbers: EV68, EV69, EV70, EV71, etc.