[An etiological study of acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis in Beijing area in 1984]

Acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis (AHC) has been widespread in China since 1971. An etiological survey of the sporadic outbreak in Beijing was done in 1984. Conjunctival swabs and sera were collected at the Eye Clinic of Peking Union Medical College Hospital and 10 strains of virus were isolated from 46 cases by culture on the HeLa cell line. 8 strains were identified as Enterovirus 70 by homologous antiserum J 670/71 obtained from the California State Laboratory of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases. 2 other strains defied neutralization by this antiserum and were eventually identified as Adenovirus type 3 and type 7. 30 paired sera were examined for neutralization antibodies to EV 70 (J 670/71). Among these, 23 (77%) showed fourfold or higher rise in titer. Furthermore, neutralization antibodies to EV70 (J 670/71) and the EV70 isolated from 7 patients with AHC by paired sera also showed a fourfold or higher rise in antibody titer, indicating that EV70 was the etiologic agent responsible for the 1984 outbreak in Beijing.