title: Isolation and molecular identification of echovirus 13 isolated from patients of aseptic meningitis in Korea, 2002.
abstract: During 2002, several epidemics of aseptic meningitis were attributed to echovirus 13 in Korea. The causative agents of these outbreaks were isolated and identified using rhabdosarcoma cells, HEp-2 and Buffalo green monkey kidney cells, and a neutralization test using monospecific antiserum. Fifty-four echovirus 13 isolates were isolated from patients with aseptic meningitis in the provinces, Seoul, Kyonggi, Gwangju, Jeonju, Busan, and Ulsan. Symptoms associated with aseptic meningitis infection in patients included the occurrence of headaches and mild fever. Molecular characterization of echovirus 13 samples was achieved by sequence and phylogenetic analyses on partial VP1 sequences from 20 Korean isolates and 10 foreign isolates listed in Genbank. Minor variation was observed among the Korean isolates, which formed a unique cluster with isolates of German and Japanese origin. The marked similarities between isolates could be attributed to a relatively recent arrival of the virus in Korea. This is the first such investigation of aseptic meningitis caused by echovirus 13 on the Korean peninsula.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, National Institute of Health, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Doo-Sung
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Cheon
authors.forename: Jiwon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kangbum
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sunhwa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kwisung
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Jungbae
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Youngmee
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jee
authors.forename: Jaedeuk
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Haewol
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cho
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D002460:Cell Line; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000821:virology; D004457:Echovirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D029822:Enterovirus B, Human / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008582:Meningitis, Aseptic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D048348:Reverse Transcription; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D036022:Capsid Proteins; D012367:RNA, Viral