Accuracy of Diagnostic Methods and Surveillance Sensitivity for Human Enterovirus, South Korea, 1999–2011
human enterovirus, Surveillance, Prevalence, Genotype, Cell culture, RT-PCR
The epidemiology of enteroviral infection in South Korea during 1999–2011 chronicles nationwide outbreaks and changing detection and subtyping methods used over the 13-year period. Of 14,657 patients whose samples were tested, 4,762 (32.5%) samples were positive for human enterovirus (human EV); as diagnostic methods improved, the rate of positive results increased. A seasonal trend of outbreaks was documented. Genotypes enterovirus 71, echovirus 30, coxsackievirus B5, enterovirus 6, and coxsackievirus B2 were the most common genotypes identified. Accurate test results correlated clinical syndromes to enterovirus genotypes: aseptic meningitis to echovirus 30, enterovirus 6, and coxsackievirus B5; hand, foot and mouth disease to coxsackievirus A16; and hand, foot and mouth disease with neurologic complications to enterovirus 71. There are currently no treatments specific to human EV infections; surveillance of enterovirus infections such as this study provides may assist with evaluating the need to research and develop treatments for infections caused by virulent human EV genotypes.
Jiyeon Hyeon, Seoyeon Hwang, Hye Jin Kim, Jae-Hyoung Song, Jeong Bae Ahn, Byung-Hak Kang, Kisoon Kim, Woo Young Choi, Jae Keun Chung, Cheon-Hyun Kim, Kyung Soon Cho, Youngmee Jee, Jong-Hyun Kim, Kisang Kim, Sun Hee Kim, Min-Ji Kim, Doo Sung Cheon
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Infectious and parasitic diseases, Medicine