ABSTRACT
We identified and characterized enteroviruses by amplifying the partial VP1 gene from pediatric patients with aseptic meningitis and other enterovirus-related diseases from the Gyeong-Ju and Po-Hang provinces of Korea in 2003. We identified two strains each of coxsackievirus A (CA) 6, CA9, and CA10; three enterovirus 71 (EV71) strains; and six echovirus 30 (E30) strains. The three EV71 strains were characterized as genogroup C4. These results are the first documentation reporting the occurrence of CA10 and EV71 genogroup C4.
Subject(s)
Coxsackievirus Infections/virology , Enterovirus Infections/virology , Enterovirus/classification , Enterovirus/isolation & purification , Capsid Proteins/genetics , Child , Child, Preschool , Cluster Analysis , Enterovirus/genetics , Female , Genotype , Humans , Infant , Korea , Male , Molecular Sequence Data , Phylogeny , RNA, Viral/genetics , Sequence Analysis, DNA , Sequence HomologyABSTRACT
This study was conducted to evaluate the modes of transmission of aseptic meningitis (AM) and hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) using a case-control and a case-crossover design. We recruited 205 childhood AM and 116 HFMD cases and 170 non-enteroviral disease controls from three general hospitals in Gyeongju, Pohang, and Seoul between May and August in both 2002 and 2003. For the case-crossover design, we established the hazard and non-hazard periods as week one and week four before admission, respectively. In the case-control design, drinking water that had not been boiled, not using a water purifier, changes in water quality, and contact with AM patients were significantly associated with the risk of AM (odds ratio [OR]=2.8, 2.9, 4.6, and 10.9, respectively), while drinking water that had not been boiled, having a non-water closet toilet, changes in water quality, and contact with HFMD patients were associated with risk of HFMD (OR=3.3, 2.8, 6.9, and 5.0, respectively). In the case-crossover design, many life-style variables such as contact with AM or HFMD patients, visiting a hospital, changes in water quality, presence of a skin wound, eating out, and going shopping were significantly associated with the risk of AM (OR=18.0, 7.0, 8.0, 2.2, 22.3, and 3.0, respectively) and HFMD (OR=9.0, 37.0, 11.0, 12.0, 37.0, and 5.0, respectively). Our findings suggest that person-to-person contact and contaminated water could be the principal modes of transmission of AM and HFMD.
