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Updated: Jun 30, 2026

Bacterial Artificial Chromosomes: A Functional Genomics Tool for the Study of Positive-strand RNA Viruses
Published on: December 29, 2015
Echovirus 30, Jiangsu Province, China
Yan Na Zhao1, Qing Wu Jiang, Ren Jie Jiang
1Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Abstract:
An outbreak of aseptic meningitis occurred in the northern area of Jiangsu Province in China from January to July in 2003. A total of 1,681 cases were involved in this outbreak, and 99% of patients were <15 years of age. To identify the etiologic agent, 66 cerebrospinal fluid specimens were tested by cell culture. Eighteen showed an enteroviruslike cytopathic effect on MRC-5 human fetal diploid lung cells. An enterovirus primer-mediated reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, a standard neutralization assay, and sequencing of the complete capsid-encoding (VP1) gene identified the 18 isolates (FDJS03) as echovirus 30. At least a 10% difference was seen in nucleotide sequences of VP1 between FDJS03 isolates and other global strains of echovirus 30. Phylogenetic analysis based on complete sequences of VP1 was performed to further characterize the FDJS03 isolates. This report is the first to identify a distinct lineage of echovirus 30 as a probable cause of this outbreak.
Insights
A large outbreak of aseptic meningitis in China, primarily affecting children, was caused by a distinct lineage of echovirus 30. This finding identifies a new viral strain responsible for the widespread pediatric illness.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Aseptic meningitis outbreaks pose significant public health challenges, particularly in pediatric populations.
- Identifying the specific etiologic agent is crucial for effective outbreak control and prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify the causative agent of a large aseptic meningitis outbreak in Jiangsu Province, China.
- To characterize the genetic features of the identified viral isolates.
Main Methods:
- Cell culture and cytopathic effect observation on MRC-5 cells.
- Enterovirus-specific reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
- Neutralization assays and sequencing of the viral capsid protein VP1 gene.
Main Results:
- Sixty-six cerebrospinal fluid specimens were analyzed, with 18 showing characteristic enterovirus cytopathic effects.
- Molecular and sequence analyses identified the causative agent as echovirus 30 (FDJS03 isolates).
- Phylogenetic analysis revealed a distinct lineage of echovirus 30, with at least 10% nucleotide sequence difference in VP1 compared to global strains.
Conclusions:
- A novel lineage of echovirus 30 was identified as the probable cause of the 2003 aseptic meningitis outbreak in Jiangsu Province.
- This discovery highlights the emergence of distinct viral strains and their potential impact on public health.
- Further research into the evolution and characteristics of this echovirus 30 lineage is warranted.
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