Echo Virus Type 30 Meningitis in Edinburgh

Abstract

Fifty-five patients with ECHO virus type 30 meningitis were admitted to the Infectious Diseases Unit, Edinburgh City Hospital between August and December 1980. There was a preponderance of males and patients aged 10–15 years. The peak admission rate was about two weeks earlier than that recorded for Scotland as a whole. Helpful diagnostic findings were headache, fever, photophobia, vomiting and nuchal rigidity but not Kernig's sign. Only one patient had a rash. The majority of patients were admitted within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms. The CSF pleiocytosis was high and tended to be polymorphonuclear in type. CSF glucose concentrations were all normal. There were no serious sequelae. The considerable morbidity reported after leaving hospital emphasises the importance of adequate convalescence.

Keywords

ECHO virus 30 meningitis Kernig's sign polymorphonuclear CSF pleiocytosis post discharge morbidity

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Epidemiology–ECHO virus type 30: 1980. Br Med J 1981; 282:1083.

Communicable Disease Scotland. Weekly Report Current notes. 1980; 80/47: v.

Poliomyelitis-like Disease in 1959: A combined Scottish study. Br Med J 1961; 2: 597–605.

Torphy

Ray

Thompson

Fox

. An epidemic of aseptic meningitis due to ECHO virus type 30: Epidemiologic features and clinical and laboratory findings. Amer J Pub H 1970; 60:1447–1455.

Duncan

IBR

. An outbreak of aseptic meningitis associated with a previously unrecognised virus. J Hyg Camb 1961; 59:181–189.

Gray

Moffat

MAJ

Sangster

. Viral meningitis: A 10-year study. Scott Med J 1969; 14:234–242.

Lepow

. Enteroviral meningitis: A reappraisal. Pediatrics 1978; 62:267–269.