Which group of RNA viruses is a common cause of viral meningitis?

Enteroviruses are indeed a common cause of viral meningitis. This group of RNA viruses includes several important pathogens, such as coxsackieviruses and echoviruses, which are known to invade the central nervous system and lead to inflammation of the meninges. Enteroviruses are prevalent and often spread through fecal-oral transmission, especially among children.

Their ability to withstand environmental conditions and multiply in the gastrointestinal tract contributes to their widespread nature and role as a significant cause of viral infections, including meningitis. When these viruses enter the bloodstream, they can reach the central nervous system, resulting in clinical manifestations of viral meningitis such as fever, headache, neck stiffness, and altered mental status.

Other groups of RNA viruses listed, while they may be associated with various diseases, are not typically linked to viral meningitis in the same way that enteroviruses are. For instance, rhinoviruses primarily cause respiratory illnesses, caliciviruses like norovirus are notorious for gastroenteritis, and flaviviruses are mostly associated with vector-borne diseases such as dengue fever and West Nile virus. Therefore, enteroviruses stand out as the most relevant group in the context of viral meningitis.