[Meningitis outbreak caused by Echovirus serotype 30 in the Valencian Community].
OBJECTIVE
Aseptic meningitis can be caused by several agents, and in many cases the etiology remains unknown. The aim of this study to analyze the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of a meningitis outbreak detected in Health Department 11 of the Valencian Community (Spain).


METHODS
The study was performed in children hospitalized between November and December 2006 with meningitis symptoms, CSF pleocytosis, and negative CSF bacteriological culture. An epidemiological survey was conducted among cases and family members. Virus detection and phylogenetic analysis were performed with molecular biology techniques.


RESULTS
The outbreak affected at least 44 children, with a mean age (standard deviation) of 5.5 years (2.9). The average hospital stay was 3.1 days and outcome was favorable in all cases. In 24 patients the CSF specimen sufficed for viral detection by PCR; enteroviruses ultimately serotyped as echovirus 30 were detected in 12 of them (50%). This serotype has been recently found in other parts of our country.


CONCLUSIONS
Detection of echovirus 30 in CSF and the epidemiological presentation of cases enabled determination of the etiology of the outbreak. This finding coincided in time with other outbreaks of echovirus 30 in Spain, a fact that may explain the epidemic situation in the Valencian Community during 2006. Establishment of a national surveillance network for monitoring systemic enterovirus infection would provide data on the circulation patterns and identify new emerging serotypes.
Area de Diagnóstico Biológico, Hospital Universitario de la Ribera, Alzira, Valencia, Spain.
M Lirios
ML
Juliá
Javier
J
Colomina
Victoria
V
Domínguez
Nieves
N
Orta
Antonio
A
Guerrero
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004457:Echovirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008587:Meningitis, Viral / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology