Prevalence of SSPE: a serological study.

The presence of measles antibodies in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 340 samples from children clinically suspected of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) were studied. One hundred and thirty eight (40%) of these children had SSPE based on the serological evidence. The mean age group of children affected was 8.2 years. The M:F ratio was 5:1. The titres of antibodies ranged from 1:2 to 1:32 in the CSF and from 1:16 to 1:512 in the serum.