Echovirus type 7 isolated from conjunctival scrapings

Echovirus type 7 was isolated from 7 conjunctival scrapings obtained during an epidemic of meningoencephalitis caused by the same virus. The patients suffered from conjunctivitis or keratoconjunctivitis, and also had gastrointestinal symptoms, fever, headache and lymphadenopathy early in their illness. Two characteristics of the isolated strains were not in agreement with those of the standard echovirus type 7: they adapted only slowly to cell cultures, and no viral hemagglutinin for human red blood cells could be demonstrated. Our data suggest an etiologic association of echovirus 7 with eye disease.