Abstract：Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is a major pathogen of hand, foot and mouth disease which is known as a neglected tropical infectious disease. EV71 is responsible for several outbreaks in the Asia-Pacific Region over the past 15 years. Since the effective control of poliovirus, EV71 has been regarded as the most important neurotropic enterovirus and its severe neurological complications threaten the children’s health. Appropriate animal models of EV71 infection are essential to understand the neuropathology and to facilitate the development of effective vaccines and drugs. In this paper, we review the characteristics, applications and limitations of three major kinds of established animal models, including non-human primate models, mouse-adaptation models and transgenic mouse models.
2016, Vol. 11 
