Isolation of Enterovirus Causing Aseptic Meningitis in Busan, 2000-2002 Years

Enteroviruses isolation were attempted from samples obtained from aseptic meningitis-suspected patients in hospitals in Busan during 2000-2002. Enteroviruses were found in 2 of 292 cases in 2000, 4 of 371 cases in 2001, 83 of 703 cases in 2002. In 2000, the isolated viruses were found to be echovirus serotype 11 and coxsackievirus serotype B2. Coxsackievirus serotype B5 was isolated in 2001 and in 2002, echovirus serotypes 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 13, 25, 30 were isolated in 70 cases while coxsackievirus serotypes B3 and B4 were isolated in 10 cases. Various specimens tended to emerge over the years. The occurrence in 2000 tended to be mostly focus during the cold months, December through January, while in 2001, it occurred in May. In 2002, occurrence was found to be distributed from April to November with the highest rate during June and July. The strains of Vero and HEp-2 of echovirus and coxsackievirus, respectively, are highly infectious. Electron micrograph of echovirus and coxsackievirus show that they are small nonenevolped, isometric-shaped viruses. Isolated RNA from strains of echovirus and coxsackievirus showing cytopathic effects were used to undergo nested PCR which resulted in a 436 bp single band in all the strains. The serotype was sent to the Department of Virology at the Korean National Institute of Health for identification.