Echovirus 15 and autumn meningitis outbreak among children, Patras, Greece, 2005.
BACKGROUND
Enteroviruses are the most common cause of aseptic meningitis, presenting in epidemic or endemic form.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the causative agent of an aseptic meningitis outbreak in autumn, 2005 in Patras, Greece.


METHODS
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples taken during May 2005-February 2006 from children admitted to the Children Hospital of Patras with signs of aseptic meningitis were tested for the presence of enteroviral RNA. Typing was performed by nucleotide analysis.


RESULTS
Enteroviruses were detected in 11 (57.9%) of 19 tested CSF samples. In a 12-day period (27 October-7 November 2005) five aseptic meningitis cases were observed. Echovirus 15 was detected in all five cases, and differed from the prototype strain by 27.6%. Enteroviruses before and after this cluster of cases were of different serotypes (Echovirus 9, Echovirus 6). All patients with Echovirus 15 infection were male with a mean age of 7.7 years (2 months-13 years), all recovered successfully.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first report of a cluster of aseptic meningitis cases caused by Echovirus 15. The causative agent was a new variant of Echovirus 15.
A' Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki 54124, Greece. filanthi@med.auth.gr
Filanthi
F
Frantzidou
Kamal
K
Dumaidi
Adamantia
A
Spiliopoulou
Antonis
A
Antoniadis
Anna
A
Papa
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004457:Echovirus Infections / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D029822:Enterovirus B, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008582:Meningitis, Aseptic / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology