title: Epidemiological study of non-polio enterovirus neurological infections in children in the region of Monastir, Tunisia.
abstract: The epidemiological, virological, and clinical syndromes of 86 children younger than 13 years suspected of having neurological diseases and admitted to Fattouma Bourguiba Hospital of Monastir from January 2002 to November 2003 were analyzed. The presence of enterovirus was studied in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and by isolation on cell culture. Sixty-one (71%) specimens were positive by RT-PCR, whereas 45 (52.3%) were detected by cell culture. Eighty percent (n = 36) of cultured enteroviruses were identified, whereas 20% were untyped. Echoviruses were isolated most frequently, with 32 cases (71.1%) in children. Echovirus 6 was the most commonly identified serotype (22.2%), followed by echovirus 13 (20%). The highest incidence on neurological infection (19.6%) occurred in children less than 6 months of age. The infected children were predominantly male (62.3%). Enteroviruses were detected in all the period of the year with the highest rate in the spring and summer months. Aseptic meningitis was the most commonly diagnosed disease (49%).
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire des Maladies Dominantes Transmissibles (MDT-01), Faculté de Pharmacie de Monastir, Université de Monastir, 5000 Monastir, Tunisia. jawhargharbi@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: Jawhar
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gharbi
authors.forename: Hela
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jaïdane
authors.forename: Manel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ben M'hadheb
authors.forename: Raïda
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: El Hiar
authors.forename: Chokri
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chouchene
authors.forename: Mohamed Neji
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Gueddiche
authors.forename: Mahjoub
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aouni
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002494:Central Nervous System Infections / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004770:Enterovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004769:Enterovirus Infections / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014416:Tunisia / Q000453:epidemiology