Aseptic meningitis caused by ECHO virus

Abstract

1. An investigation of ninety-eight cases of aseptic meningitis admitted to hospital resulted in the isolation of ECHO virus Type 6 from fifty-one patients.2. The viruses were cultivated in both human embryonic skin-muscle tissue and human amniotic cell tissue. The latter was found to be more satisfactory.3. Forty-eight strains were isolated from the stools of patients, six from the cerebrospinal fluid and four from throat-washings.4. Serological examination of patients from whom the virus was isolated showed that a significant proportion of patients exhibited a specific antibody response. This included three out of six patients with the virus in their cerebrospinal fluid.5. The clinical picture of aseptic meningitis from which cases ECHO virus was isolated cannot be distinguished from that caused by other known viruses.6. The evidence presented supports the claim that ECHO virus Type 6 is one of the causes of aseptic meningitis.Grateful appreciation is acknowledged to Prof. P. M. Holst (Oslo), Prof. Johs. Böe (Bergen), Dr B. Helland-Hanssen (Molde), Dr O. Römcke (Drammen), Dr R. Tingstad (Namsos), and Dr A. H. Brinchmann (Bærum), for providing specimens and case records. I am also grateful to Mrs B. Zapffe and Mrs L. Kohmann for expert technical assistance.