Abstract
BackgroundAseptic meningitis is most often caused by enteroviruses (EVs), but EVs associated with aseptic meningitis have not yet been reported in Liaocheng. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and genetic characteristics of EVs causing aseptic meningitis in children in Liaocheng.MethodsWe reviewed the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 504 paediatric cases of aseptic meningitis in Liaocheng from 2018 to 2019 and analysed the phylogeny of the predominant EV types causing this disease.ResultsA total of 107 children were positive for EV in cerebrospinal fluid samples by nested PCR. Most of the positive patients were children 13 years old or younger and had symptoms such as fever, headache and vomiting (P < 0.05). The seasons with the highest prevalence of EV-positive cases were summer and autumn. The 107 EV sequences belonged to 8 serotypes, and echovirus types 18, 6 and 11 were the three dominant serotypes in Liaocheng during the 2-year study period. Phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that the E18 and E6 isolates belonged to subgenotype C2, while the E11 isolates belonged to subgenotype D5. VP1 analysis suggested that only one lineage of these three types was cocirculating in the Liaocheng region.ConclusionsThis study demonstrated the diverse EV genotypes contributing to a large outbreak of aseptic meningitis in Liaocheng. Therefore, large-scale surveillance is required to assess the epidemiology of EVs associated with aseptic meningitis and is important for the diagnosis and treatment of aseptic meningitis in Liaocheng.
Highlights
Enteroviruses (EVs) are small, nonenveloped, positive single-stranded RNA viruses from the genus Enterovirus within the family Picornaviridae [1]
Aseptic meningitis is the most common CNS infection in which the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is negative for bacteria, and EVs, human parechovirus (HPeV), varicella zoster virus (VZV) and herpes simplex viruses (HSVs) 1 and 2 are the most common viral aetiologies [21, 22]
We described the molecular epidemiology and genotypes of EVs isolated from CSF samples from children hospitalized for aseptic meningitis in Liaocheng, China
Summary
Enteroviruses (EVs) are small, nonenveloped, positive single-stranded RNA viruses from the genus Enterovirus within the family Picornaviridae [1]. Various studies conducted over the past several decades have shown that most EV-B types are major causative agents of this disease, and numerous EV-B-associated meningitis outbreaks have been reported throughout the world [7,8,9,10,11,12,13]. There have been outbreaks of aseptic meningitis caused by EV-Bs (e.g., E6, E30, CVB3 and CVB5) in central eastern Shandong Province [14,15,16,17,18]. Liaocheng City is located in the western region of Shandong Province, and no information on the EVs causing aseptic meningitis in children in the city has been reported.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
