Isolation of coxsackievirus A16 from hand, foot and mouth disease cases, May 2000 - Tochigi
(IASR 2000; 21: 168-168)

In Tochigi Prefecture 7 strains of coxsackievirus A16 (CA16) and one strain of coxsackievirus A6 (CA6) were isolated from 9 pharyngeal swab samples collected from hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) patients at the end of May (the 20th - 21st week). These patients included 5 kindergarteners in O City, one elementary school child in N Town, one nursery school child in N Town, and 2 children going to a day care center in N Town. Risk of contact between these patients was not ruled out. These patients presented mild symptoms including exanthema (9 cases) and fever (4 cases, 37.2-38.4C).

In order to isolate the viruses, HEp-2, Vero, RD, RD-18S cell lines were used. Cytopathic effect was not observed by the third generation. The samples were inoculated into 9 suckling mice for 2 generations, and 8 mice developed paralysis of the limbs. The viruses were identified using ascitic antibodies provided by NIID.

Epidemiological investigation of infectious diseases in Tochigi Prefecture found that the reported number of HFMD patients had remarkably increased since the 19th week, and in the 26th week it reached 358 (7.8 per sentinel). The reported number of HFMD patients at the local sentinel was 2 in the 19th week, but it increased to 63 in the 25th week. Similar trend was observed in the whole Prefecture.

Reported by: Sonoko Okamoto, Hideki Naitou, Sadako Nakai, Seiichi Niibori, and Kazuo Nagatake, Tochigi Prefectural Institute of Public Health and Environmental Science

Correspondence:
E-mail: virus@thec.tochigi.jp
Fax: +81-28-673-9071

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