VIRAL ETIOLOGY OF ACUTE CHILDHOOD ENCEPHALITIS IN BEIJING DIAGNOSED BY ANALYSIS OF SINGLE SAMPLES

Objective. To understand the viral etiology of acute childhood encepha litis in Beijing. Methods. Ninety seven Chinese children (between 7 mo nths and 13 years of age) with acute encephalitis were retrospectively investigated. They were treated in Beijing Children's Hospital betwee n June, 1991, and October, 1994. Different serologic methods (immunofl uorescence assay, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, solid phase rever se immunosorbent test) were used for detection of IgM antibody to ente roviruses, herpesviruses, mumps, measles, rubella and Japanese encepha litis virus. The viral DNA of six herpesviruses was detected by polyme rase chain reaction. Results, Viral etiology was identified in 35 of 9 7 (36.0%) cases. The most frequently identified pathogens were enterov iruses (15; 15.4%), followed by mumps (7; 7.2%), rubella (6; 6.1%), Ja panese encephalitis virus (5; 5.1%), human herpesvirus 6 (2; 2.0%), he rpes simplex virus (2; 2.0%) and Epstein-Barr virus (1; 1.0%). IgM ant ibody in cerebrospinal fluid was detected for enterovirus, mumps and r ubella viruses. Conclusions. Enteroviruses were the most frequent vira l pathogens of acute childhood encephalitis in Beijing. Detection of I gM in cerebrospinal fluid may be useful for diagnosis in certain cases of viral encephalitis.