A study of enterovirus isolations in Glasgow from 1977 to 1997

The number and range of enteroviruses isolated in the Regional Virus Labora tory, Glasgow during 1977-1997 was determined. Over this period, 3,039 ente rovirus isolations were reported. The echoviruses represented 67% of isolat ions with echovirus 4 (due to an outbreak in 1990), echovirus 30 and echovi rus 11 being the most frequently isolated types. The pattern of prevalence of non-polio enteroviruses had changed from the previous 20-year period wit h echovirus types isolated more often (77% vs. 55.4%) and coxsackieviruses isolated less often (23% vs. 44.6%). The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in troduced into the routine diagnostic service in 1996 increased the detectio n of enteroviruses from cerebrospinal fluid samples compared with tradition al cell culture methods. Finally, the 5' nontranslated region (NTR, bases 6 3-475) and the VP4/VP2 region (bases 581-1199) of selected echovirus 30 and coxsackie B3 isolates were sequenced. These represented endemic and epidem ic types respectively and were shown to be closely related within their typ e, but different from the published sequences. The current echovirus 30 str ains differed from 1966 isolates by 16-20% in both the 5' NTR and VP4/VP2 r egions. The coxsackie B3 isolates, predominant in 1997 after 5 years of abs ence, were also dissimilar from previously isolated strains, causing a smal l outbreak. (C) 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.