Phylogenic analysis of echovirus type 30 isolated from a large epidemic of aseptic meningitis in Japan during 1997-1998.

During 1997 to 1998, a nationwide epidemic of aseptic meningitis occurred in Japan. More than 4,500 isolates from patients with aseptic meningitis were identified as echovirus type 30. To investigate the character of these isolates, we examined the nucleotide sequences of thirty-seven geographical representatives and compared them with 50 strains isolated during the past 20 years. The phylogenic analysis used partial sequences from either the VP1 or VP4-VP2 region of the viral capsid. This analysis revealed that the isolates were divided into six genomic groups. All isolates identified during 1997-1998 belonged to only two genomic groups; these two groups are thought to be the causative viral agents involved in the recent epidemic.

Typing of herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 by immunoblotting analysis using polyclonal antisera to herpes simplex virus glycoproteins.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) isolates were differentiated by immunoblotting analysis using a mixture of polyclonal antisera directed against HSV type 1 (HSV-1) and HSV type 2 (HSV-2) glycoprotein fractions (gB/gC of HSV-1 and gC/gE/84-kDa protein of HSV-2), since the mixed antisera recognized viral polypeptides with different molecular weights in HSV-1- and HSV-2-infected cells. Results of typing by immunoblotting analysis were consistent with those obtained by restriction endonuclease analysis of DNAs extracted from 10 HSV isolates. These results suggest that the immunoblotting technique will be applicable to reliable typing of HSV isolates using polyclonal antisera showing the difference in reaction patterns between HSV-1- and HSV-2-infected cells.