Background:Aseptic meningitis is a common illness during childhood. Although the etiologic agent si not alway identified, viruses are the usual responsible agents. Enterovirus especially causes approximately 85% of all cases of aseptic meningtis. In 1993, there was a nationwide epidemic of aseptic meningitis by echovirus 9 and 30. And we reported that the cause of aseptic meningitis in 1994 was echovirus 3. This study was done to detect the causative virus of aseptic meningitis in 1995.
Methods:To isolate the causative viruses, stool and cerebrospinal fluid specimens from the patients with aseptic menigitis, who were admitted to Severance Hostpital in 1995, were collected. Cultured RD cells and HEp-2 cells were inoculated with specimens to see the cytopathic effects. Neutralizing antibody tests using enterovirus serum pool were done on the specimens with the cytopathic effects. RNA was isolated from the cultured supernatants of the infected cells by Piore and Nicoletta Method. Oligonucleotide was synthesized by PCR, which was run on polyacrylamide gel after purification with HPLC. After running the DNA produced by using Geneamp RNA PCR Kit, electrophoresis was done.
Results:Enterovirus was isolated from 8 out of 19 patients. Among these eight,Coxsackie B3 was isolated in 5 patients. Echovirus 7 was isolated in 3 patients. In one of these patients, Coxackie B3 and echovirus 7 was isolated simultaneously. Echovirus 20 was isolated in one patient. PCR product from these viruses showed a 154 bp band on gel electrophorseis, which was the same PCR product from echovirus 3 supplied from ATCC.
Conclusion: The causative viruses of aseptic meningitis in patients who were admitted to Severance Hospital during the spring season of 1995 were Coxackie B3 and echovirus 7.