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Enterovirus type 71 infection in Melbourne
Abstract:
Between November 1972 and May 1973, 60 strains of a new enterovirus were isolated from 49 patients investigated at Fairfield Hospital for Communicable Diseases, Melbourne. Of these patients 39 were admitted to hospital with aseptic meningitis (which was accompanied by a rash in 6), 5 others had rash alone, 4 had acute respiratory tract infections, and 1 had infective polyneuritis. A representative strain from this outbreak had the physicochemical properties of an enterovirus but could not be identified with antisera prepared against the prototype polio, coxsackie, and echo viruses. Studies, performed in association with the WHO Collaborating Centre for Virus Reference and Research, Houston, TX, USA, showed the outbreak to be due to enterovirus 71. Most of the epidemic strains required sodium deoxycholate treatment before neutralization could be demonstrated.
Insights
A new enterovirus, later identified as enterovirus 71 (EV71), caused aseptic meningitis and other illnesses in Melbourne. This discovery was crucial for understanding enterovirus outbreaks.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Infectious Diseases
- Epidemiology
Background:
- An outbreak of enterovirus infections occurred in Melbourne between November 1972 and May 1973.
- The outbreak involved 49 patients, with isolates from 60 strains of a novel enterovirus.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify the causative agent of the enterovirus outbreak.
- To characterize the physicochemical and antigenic properties of the isolated virus strains.
Main Methods:
- Isolation and characterization of enterovirus strains from patients.
- Physicochemical analysis of viral properties.
- Neutralization tests using antisera against known enteroviruses.
- Collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Virus Reference and Research.
Main Results:
- Sixty enterovirus strains were isolated from 49 patients presenting with aseptic meningitis, rash, respiratory infections, or polyneuritis.
- A representative strain exhibited enterovirus characteristics but was not identifiable with existing polio, coxsackie, or echo virus antisera.
- Further studies confirmed the outbreak was caused by enterovirus 71 (EV71).
- Most epidemic strains required sodium deoxycholate treatment for effective neutralization.
Conclusions:
- The outbreak was attributed to a newly identified enterovirus, EV71.
- EV71 presented with diverse clinical manifestations, including aseptic meningitis and rash.
- The findings underscore the importance of EV71 as a significant enterovirus pathogen.