DIRECT DETECTION OF ENTEROVIRUS GENOME IN CELL-CULTURE NEGATIVE CEREBROSPINAL FLUID FROM ASEPTIC MENINGITIS CASES IN BRAZIL

Enteroviruses are the main etiologic agents involved in outbreaks and sporadic cases of aseptic meningitis. Viral isolation in permissive cells is a traditional method for diagnosis, but it is time consuming and may be unsuccessful due to low viral titers and because some enteroviruses do not replicate in routine cell cultures. Therefore, molecular techniques are increasingly being used for detection of these agents. In the present work, 267 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from aseptic meningitis and meningoencephalitis cases, received between 2008 and 2009, were tested by RT-PCR. These clinical samples were previously negative for virus isolation in cell culture. Enterovirus genome was detected in 59 CSF samples (22.1%) and identification was confirmed by partial nucleotide sequencing. Some demographics of the patients included in the study were analyzed. Direct detection of enterovirus genome from CSF is appropriate to increase sensitivity in aseptic meningitis and meningoencephalitis cases.