title: [Molecular-biological identification of pathogens which caused an outbreak of viral encephalitis in Jinan area].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the etiology of the outbreak of viral encephalitis in Jinan area in 2003.
  
  
  METHODS
  Virus-specific nucleic acid fragments were amplified by random PCR and RT-PCR using specific primers to enterovirus. After sequencing, the gene sequence was handled by the program BLAST for homologous analysis and the software Clustal W 1.82 for multiple sequence alignment to identify the etiology and its genotype.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five strains were isolated from clinical specimens. A gene fragment for one strain was acquired using random PCR, which was highly homologous to enterovirus. Then, the 5' non-translated region and partial VP1 region were amplified and sequenced. The five isolated strains were all identified as Coxsackievirus B5, and what was more, they were most homologous to the strain isolated during the outbreak of aseptic meningitis and encephalitis in Zhejiang province from 2002 to 2004.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Coxsackievirus B5 is closely associated with the outbreak of viral encephalitis in Jinan area in 2003. It is an important etiology but other viruses may also played a role which remains to be clarified.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Institute of Basic Medicine, Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan 250062, China.
authors.forename: Yan-zhen
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.forename: Ying-ying
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Yue
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhi-hui
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Meng
mesh_terms: D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D018792:Encephalitis, Viral / Q000821:virology*; D029822:Enterovirus B, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction