Rinsho Shinkeigaku (Clinical Neurology)

Brief Clinical Note

Adult cases of viral meningitis caused by echovirus type 13

Hiromi Tsutsui, M.D.1), Tadanori Hamano, M.D.1), Miho Toho, Ph. D.2), Masako Nakamura, Ph. D.2), Koji Hayashi, M.D.1), Osamu Yamamura, M.D.1), Hiroto Nakagawa, M.D.1), Jiro Fujiyama, M.D.1), Makoto Yoneda, M.D.1) and Masaru Kuriyama, M.D.1)

1)Second Department of Internal Medicine, Fukui Medical University,
2)Division of Infectious Disease and Pathological Chemistry, Fukui Prefectural Institute of Public Health and Environmental Science

Adult cases of viral meningitis caused by echovirus type 13 (E13) were studied. E13 was isolated from 8 of 11 adult patients (73%) with viral meningitis between April and September 2002 in Fukui Prefecture. The mean age was 27.4±6.4 years (4 males and 4 females). The disease was prevalent among adults, especially younger adults as well as children. The symptoms and signs were as follows; headache (100%), fever (100%), nausea and/or vomiting (88%), Kernig's sign (88%), and increased deep tendon reflexes (50%). The average cell counts in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were 118±111/mm3. Of the 2 patients, polynuclear cells were dominant during the early phase of the disease. The prognosis was good. Since May 2002, the number of patients with viral meningitis caused by E13 has rapidly increased. Most of the reported patients were children. We should consider the possibility of E13 infection as a cause of adult viral meningitis.

(CLINICA NEUROL, 43: 363|365, 2003)
key words: echovirus type 13, viral meningitis, adult-onset, prevalence

(Received: 9-Feb-03)