Viral etiology of acute childhood encephalitis in Beijing diagnosed by analysis of single samples.
OBJECTIVE
To understand the viral etiology of acute childhood encephalitis in Beijing.


METHODS
Ninety-seven Chinese children (between 7 months and 13 years of age) with acute encephalitis were retrospectively investigated. They were treated in Beijing Children's Hospital between June, 1991, and October, 1994. Different serologic methods (immunofluorescence assay, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, solid phase reverse immunosorbent test) were used for detection of IgM antibody to enteroviruses, herpesviruses, mumps, measles, rubella and Japanese encephalitis virus. The viral DNA of six herpesviruses was detected by polymerase chain reaction.


RESULTS
Viral etiology was identified in 35 of 97 (36.0%) cases. The most frequently identified pathogens were enteroviruses (15; 15.4%), followed by mumps (7; 7.2%), rubella (6; 6.1%), Japanese encephalitis virus (5; 5.1%), human herpesvirus 6 (2; 2.0%), herpes simplex virus (2; 2.0%) and Epstein-Barr virus (1; 1.0%). IgM antibody in cerebrospinal fluid was detected for enterovirus, mumps and rubella viruses.


CONCLUSIONS
Enteroviruses were the most frequent viral pathogens of acute childhood encephalitis in Beijing. Detection of IgM in cerebrospinal fluid may be useful for diagnosis in certain cases of viral encephalitis.
Xu
Y
Y
Department of Virology, Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control, Stockholm, Sweden.
Zhaori
G
G
Vene
S
S
Shen
K
K
Zhou
Y
Y
Magnius
L O
LO
Wahren
B
B
Linde
A
A
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China; D018792:Encephalitis, Viral / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D004769:Enterovirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012698:Serologic Tests; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D014780:Viruses / Q000302:isolation & purification
D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M