title: [Cuban epidemic neuropathy. I. Viral isolation].
abstract: From the end of 1991 to June, 1993, an epidemic neuropathy affecting 50,963 persons occurred in Cuba. Two clinical forms of the disease were observed: the optic form (with or without peripheral manifestations, 52% of the cases) and the peripheral form (48%). The epidemiological studies revealed nutritional disorders, mainly a vitamin B complex deficiency due to economic difficulties faced by the country in the "special period". Smoking habit and alcohol consumption were identified as risk factors, particularly for the most severe forms of the disease. In the virological studies of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) a Coxsackie 9 virus was isolated in Vero cells in 4% of the cases, as well as another agent with mild cytopathogenic effect in 80% of the samples. Sixty seven percent of the CSF samples inoculated to lactating mice caused the disease or the death of the animals. The viral persistence was confirmed in the cerebrospinal fluid during al least 21 days in a group of patients, and for a year in another group.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Medicina Tropical Pedro Kourí.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Más Lago
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Pelegrino
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Guzmán
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Capó
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kourí
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000821:virology; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D003462:Cuba / Q000453:epidemiology; D004770:Enterovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009902:Optic Neuritis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D014709:Vero Cells; D014776:Virus Cultivation