[Outbreak of Coxsackievirus B5 meningoencephalitis in Cuba, 1995]

An increase in the reported cases of viral meningoencephalitis (VME) was detected in October and November, 1995, compared with the same period of 1994. 43 stock specimens from children with this diagnosis were received at the Laboratory of Enterovirus from the "Pedro Kourí" Institute of Tropical Medicine. 23 isolations (53.4%) were obtained and identified as Coxsackievirus B5. Besides, in 43 matched sera investigated by the neutralization test against some Enteroviruses, 21 proved to be positive (48.8%) to the isolated agent. This allowed us to affirm, supported by the clinical picture and by epidemiology, that we are in the presence of an VME outbreak produced by Coxsackievirus B5.