[Case report of aseptic meningitis due to Japanese encephalitis virus].

Although Japanese encephalitis virus is mainly associated with encephalitis, it does cause other diseases. However, descriptions of symptomatic infections other than encephalitis are limited. In this study, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens from 21 patients with aseptic meningitis from July to October (in summer season) in each year from 1993 to 2005 were investigated for Japanese encephalitis virus. Total RNA was extracted from the specimens and amplified by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Among the specimens, only one product had highest homology with Japanese encephalitis virus genotype III. The patient was a 34-year-old man who complained of headache and fever in July 1998. He was clinically diagnosed with aseptic meningitis, and the symptoms subsided spontaneously without specific treatment in several days. It is suggested that some cases of aseptic meningitis in summer could be caused by Japanese encephalitis virus.