[Meningitis caused by enterovirus in a pediatric hospital: experience in 1996].

BACKGROUND

To know the incidence, etiology to the serotype level and epidemiological characteristics of cases of enteroviral meningitis diagnosed in a pediatric emergency service in 1996.

METHODS

Inoculation of conventional cell cultures with samples of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), throat swabs and stools taken from children with clinically suspected meningitis.

RESULTS

Enterovirus was cultured from 17 of 65 (26.2%) CSF samples with pleocytosis (more than 10 cells/mm3) and from 12 of 268 (4.5%) biologically normal samples. The identified isolates of CSF (20 of 29) were: ECHO 30 (9), ECHO 11 (7), ECHO 9 (3) and ECHO 7 (1). Most (79%) isolates were obtained between March and June.

CONCLUSIONS

Enteroviral meningitis was apparently more common in spring, although the number of samples was significantly lower during the summer months. The clinical cases were sporadic, due to at least four echoviruses serotypes. The isolation of enterovirus from CSF without pleocytosis is not exceptional (41% of our isolates).