Abstract
Eight patients with brain biopsy-proven herpes simplex encephalitis were seen at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, within a three-month period in the summer of 1977. The unusual temporal clustering of these cases engendered a formal epidemiologic investigation. No significant link among these patients was uncovered, and analysis of the cleavage products of seven of the eight viral isolates produced by the restriction endonucleases HsuI and HpaI showed that they were different. This cluster thus appears to have been a random event. Its occurrence, however, emphasizes that herpes encephalitis is not a rare disease in this country. In addition, the utility of restriction enzyme cleavage of DNA in clarifying the epidemiology of viral disease is underscored.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: 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.