SUBACUTE SCLEROSING PANENCEPHALITIS IN DELHI

Between 1989 and 1992 (to October), 65 patients of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis were referred to the Virology Laboratory of the Natio nal Institute of Communicable Diseases, Delhi, from the major hospital s of Delhi. The cases were mainly residents of Delhi, but a few were f rom states bordering Delhi. The age group of affected cases ranged fro m 2 to 24 years. The disease (SSPE) was six times more common in males than in females. All but four patients below 3 years of age gave a pa st history of measles. No patient had history of measles vaccination. The titres of haemagglutination inhibition antibodies (HAI) to measles virus in serum of SSPE patients ranged from 1:8 to 1:2048 and in CSF it ranged from 1:4 to 1:64, while in the control group it ranged from 1:2 to 1:256 in serum and nil in CSF. The geometric mean titres in ser um was 10-fold higher in serum and four-fold higher in CSF from SSPE c ases as compared to control.