Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Epidemiology and Infection logoLink to Epidemiology and Infection
. 1993 Oct;111(2):357–371. doi: 10.1017/s095026880005706x

Laboratory surveillance of viral meningitis by examination of cerebrospinal fluid in Cape Town, 1981-9.

J P McIntyre 1, G A Keen 1
PMCID: PMC2271389  PMID: 8405162

Abstract

Nine years accumulated laboratory data derived from the culture of the cerebrospinal fluid of 11,360 aseptic meningitis cases were retrospectively reviewed to establish the epidemiology of viral meningitis in Cape Town. Virus was isolated from 3406 of the cases (91% enteroviruses and 9% mumps). Five major summer viral meningitis episodes were documented: two of echovirus 4 (706 and 445 cases), echovirus 9 (223), coxsackie A9 (104) and one of unidentified enterovirus (324 cases--probably echo 9). Although coxsackie B was endemic, clusters of one or other type were dominant at any one time. Mumps was endemic. Sixty-two percent of all viral cases were < 5 years old. The median ages of 4 and 5 years in echoviruses 9 and 4 (the epidemic strains) contrasted with that of 1 year in coxsackie B (with many cases < 3 months old). Mumps peaked at 3-4 years of age. Males dominated overall, particularly in mumps.

Full text

PDF
357

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Assaad F., Cockburn W. C. Four-year study of WHO virus reports on enteroviruses other than poliovirus. Bull World Health Organ. 1972;46(3):329–336. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Donald P. R., Burger P. J., Becker W. B. Mumps meningo-encephalitis. S Afr Med J. 1987 Mar 7;71(5):283–285. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Donald P. R., Burger P. J., Becker W. B. Paediatric meningitis in the western Cape. A 3-year hospital-based prospective survey. S Afr Med J. 1986 Sep 27;70(7):391–395. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Gear J. H., Measroch V. Coxsackievirus infections of the newborn. Prog Med Virol. 1973;15:42–62. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Gray J. A., Moffat M. A., Sangster G. Viral meningitis. A 10-year study. Scott Med J. 1969 Jul;14(7):234–242. doi: 10.1177/003693306901400704. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Grist N. R., Bell E. J., Assaad F. Enteroviruses in human disease. Prog Med Virol. 1978;24:114–157. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. HOWARTH W. H., NAUDE W. D., BECKER W. B., MALHERBE H. H., HARWIN R. A closed epidemic of acute aseptic meningitis caused by ECHO virus type 4. II. Laboratory studies. S Afr Med J. 1961 Apr 22;35:333–335. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Haynes R. E., Cramblett H. G., Kronfol H. J. Echovirus 9 meningoencephalitis in infants and children. JAMA. 1969 Jun 2;208(9):1657–1660. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Ishii K., Matsunaga Y., Onishi E., Kono R. Epidemiological and virological studies of echovirus type 4 meningitis in Japan, 1964. Jpn J Med Sci Biol. 1968 Feb;21(1):11–26. doi: 10.7883/yoken1952.21.11. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. KARZON D. T., ECKERT G. L., BARRON A. L., HAYNER N. S., WINKELSTEIN W., Jr Aseptic meningitis epidemic due to ECHO 4 virus. Am J Dis Child. 1961 May;101:610–622. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.1961.04020060068008. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Keen G. A., McIntyre J. P. Summer aseptic meningitis in Cape Town, 1981-1986. S Afr Med J. 1986 Apr 12;69(8):473–474. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. LEHAN P. H., CHICK E. W., DOTO I. L., CHIN T. D., HEEREN R. H., FURCOLOW M. L. An epidemic illness associated with a recently recognized enteric virus (ECHO virus type 4). I. Epidemiologic and clinical features. Am J Hyg. 1957 Jul;66(1):63–75. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a119886. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. MALHERBE H., HARWIN R., SMITH A. H. An outbreak of aseptic meningitis associated with ECHO virus type 4. S Afr Med J. 1957 Dec 14;31(50):1261–1264. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Potter P. C., Donald P. R., Moodie J., Slater C., Kibel M. A. Meningitis in Cape Town children. S Afr Med J. 1984 Nov 17;66(20):759–762. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Ray C. G., McCollough R. H., Doto I. L., Todd J. C., Glezen W. P., Chin T. D. Echo 4 illness. Epidemiological, clinical and laboratory studies of an outbreak in a rural community. Am J Epidemiol. 1966 Sep;84(2):253–267. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a120639. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Schoub B. D., Johnson S., McAnerney J. M., Dos Santos I. L., Klaassen K. I. Epidemic Coxsackie B virus infection in Johannesburg, South Africa. J Hyg (Lond) 1985 Oct;95(2):447–455. doi: 10.1017/s0022172400062872. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. WALLACE H. L., EDGE W. E., CLYDE J. H. Acute aseptic meningitis in children. S Afr Med J. 1961 Jun 3;35:450–453. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. WILSEN A. A., PEISACH H., HOWARTH W. H. A closed epidemic of acute aseptic meningitis caused by ECHO virus type 4. I. Epidemiological and clinical studies. S Afr Med J. 1961 Apr 22;35:330–333. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Wenner H. A., Abel D., Olson L. C., Burry V. F. A mixed epidemic associated with echovirus types 6 and 11: virologic, clinical and epidemiologic studies. Am J Epidemiol. 1981 Sep;114(3):369–378. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a113204. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Epidemiology and Infection are provided here courtesy of Cambridge University Press

RESOURCES