Diversity of Etiological Agent Associated with Aseptic Meningitis

A Survey on an Epidemic in Tajimi City, Gifu Prefecture in 1984

Abstract

During the period from May to September in 1984, an epidemic of aseptic meningitis occurred in Tajimi city, Gifu prefecture. Virological and serological investigations were performed.
Cases involved ranged from 0 to 12 years of age, and 83.1% of them were under 7 years of age. Four types of enteroviruses were isolated from 38 of 59 cases (64.4%), and virus type isolated were coxsackie B1 (15 cases), B4 (2 cases), B5 (4 cases), echovirus 16 (14 cases), a mixture of coxsackie-virus B4 and echovirus 16 (2 cases) and an unidentified strain (one cases). Virus types isolated from cerebrospinal fluid were coxsackievirus B1 and B5.
In the serological studies of 47 paired sera of patients, a significant rise in titer against 4 virus types isolated was 29.8% with coxsackievirus B 1, 12.8% with coxasackievirus B4, 17.0% with coxsackievirus B5, and 34.0% with echovirus 16. In relation between virus type isolated and a significant rise in titer of neutralizing antibody, almost all of the patients' sera (80.0%) exhibited a significant rise in titer of neutralizing antibody against one isolated virus type, but some patient's sera (20.0%) exhibited a significant rise against two or more of the viruses.