CHARACTERIZATION OF A VIRUS ISOLATED FROM THE CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID OF PATIENTS WITH EPIDEMIC NEUROPATHY

A previously unknown disease, termed epidemic neuropathy (EN), occurre d in Cuba between 1991 and 1993. When samples of cerebrospinal fluid ( CSF) from 45 patients with EN and 11 controls were inoculated into cul tures of VERO cells, almost all (93%) of the samples from the cases of EN but only one (9%) of the control samples produced a slowly progres sing cytopathological effect (CPE). Although the results of other stud ies indicated the presence of a picornavirus-like virus in CSF samples from EN cases, the CPE and other physico-chemical characteristics obs erved were not those expected of picorn-viruses. Several aetiological factors may have contributed to EN but at least one virus could have p layed a major role.