A CLUSTER OF CASES OF NEONATAL COXSACKIEVIRUS-B MENINGITIS AND MYOCARDITIS

Three babies were referred with enteroviral meningitis and myocarditis during a 4-month period. During this same period there was an increas ed frequency of coxsackievirus B type 2 isolates reported to the Natio nal Centre for Disease Control. Myocarditis was simultaneous with meni ngitis in one baby, but delayed by 10 weeks in another, in whom myocar ditis mimicked myocardial infarction. Two of the three mothers experie nced abdominal pain, one with antepartum haemorrhage, which has been d escribed previously with coxsackievirus infection in pregnancy. Diagno sis was made in two babies by polymerase chain reaction on cerebrospin al fluid.