[Enterovirus sequencing as a new approach to the laboratory diagnosis for clinical and epidemiological purposes]. / Sekvenace enteroviru jako nový prístup k laboratorní diagnostice pro klinické i epidemiologické úcely.

OBJECTIVE: Introducing enterovirus sequencing as an advanced approach to classify the viruses isolated according to the novel nomenclature and to characterize isolates in detail. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Seventy-five specimens collected from 64 patients in two hospitals, Liberec Regional Hospital, and Plzen University Hospital, were analyzed. The study patients' age ranged from four to 54 years, with a median of 15 years in males and 16 years in females. In most patients, the reasons for admission were intense headache, fever, vomiting, tiredness, meningeal symptoms, intestinal symptoms (in two patients), and skin symptoms (in one patient). The specimens collected were rectal and throat swabs, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and stool specimens. Molecular detection and typing were performed using the RT-PCR method. A segment of the 5´non-coding RNA was selected for typing. Specimens were amplified using single-step PCR with external primers and with the same primers extended to include M13 sequences (Generi-Biotech). The LASERGENE software (DIASTAR) was used in sequence editing, alignment, and quality check. The sequences obtained were checked against the central GenBank sequence database using the BLAST algorithm. RESULTS: The identification of the study isolates resulted in 61 ECHO viruses 30, three coxsackie viruses B1, one coxsackie virus B3, one coxsackie virus A9, one enterovirus 86, one enterovirus 71, Two ECHO viruses 13/coxsackie virus B5, one ECHO virus 7/30/coxsackie virus B4, one coxsackie virus B4/enterovirus B, one enterovirus 87/ECHO virus 30/enterovirus B, and one ECHO virus 3. All viruses isolated, except enterovirus 71 classified into group A, were of group B. CONCLUSION: The enteroviruses were identified unambigously, although the sequencing only targeted a short, conserved segment that showed considerable variability. The sequencing was an effective alternative to enterovirus identification by the neutralisation test and allowed for detailed characterization of the isolates. The predominance of ECHO 30 as the cause of aseptic meningitis is in accordance with the literature data.

2001 serological survey in the Czech Republic--poliomyelitis.

Regular vaccination against poliomyelitis was started in 1960 with oral polio vaccine (OPV). Since 1992 a trivalent OPV has been administered in five doses within a nationwide vaccination campaign. The immunization coverage varies between 96.8% and 98.2% after 4 OPV doses, reaching 98.0% to 98.9% after the fifth dose. No case of indigenous poliomyelitis has been reported in the Czech Republic since the second half of 1960. In 2001, 3,230 sera were tested for the presence of antibodies against poliovirus of types 1, 2 and 3 using a virus neutralization microassay. The prevalence rates of antibodies vary between 96.0% and 100% for types 1 and 2 and between 95.1% and 100% for type 3, with the exception of the highest age group, in which the prevalence rates of antibodies against poliovirus of all three types are 92.2%.