[Exanthematous viral diseases and measles: serology]

A study of antibodies against measles virus and other viral agents is made to investigate possible existence of a false measles or "measles-like" in 48 children with this disease during an epidemic. Hemagglutination-inhibiting technique was used to determine rubella antibodies, and complement fixation technique to measure those produced against other diseases studied. Results were grouped according to the seroconversions found. The following serologic diagnoses were found: twenty eight cases of measles, one of rubella, four of Coxsackie-Echo, three of Epstein-Barr infection, two of Parainfluenza, and one of respiratory syncytial virus infection. Some of the patients with an infection due to Coxsackie-Echo or Epstein-Barr viruses were simultaneously affected by measles. Results are commented and discussed, concluding that there in not any fixed pattern in the development of viral antibodies response in the child. Four of the cases studied were "measles-like".