ABSTRACT
<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>To find the pathogenic agents of aseptic meningitis prevalent in Xuzhou of Jiangsu province in 2001.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The enterovirus (EV) was cultured from CSF of the patients and identified with anti-serum by neutralization test. Neutralization titer of antibody in paired sera from meningitis children was determined. EV RNA was detected by RT-PCR.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Four strains of Coxsackievirus B5, 2 strains of Coxsackievirus B3 and 1 strain of Echovirus 7 were isolated from 22 CSF specimens. The isolation rate of virus was 31.8% (7/22), 21 CSF were tested by RT-PCR, the positive rate of EV RNA was 52.4% (11/21); 57.9% (11/19) of patients paired-sera had over 4 folds antibody rise or became seroconverted.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Enterovirus was the pathogenic agent of aseptic meningitis prevalent in Xuzhou of Jiangsu province, the main serotype of the virus was Coxsackievirus B5.</p>