[An etiology study on the 1986 epidemic of acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis in China].

An epidemic of Acute Hemorrhagic Conjunctivitis (AHC) broke out in Shanghai, Henan and Fujian provinces of China in 1986. Twenty four strains of etiologically suspected virus were then isolated but not correctly identified. In 1990 9 out of 24 strains from these three places were re-examined by us in our laboratory, and found feasible to be neutralized by CA 24V antiserum, but not by antiserum to EV 70 as once reported by Henan. It was also found that these viruses (one strain from each of these three places) produced pathogenic changes in suckling mice, showed definite immuno-fluorescence with Mcabs, and were neutralized by McAbs against CA 24V which was isolated from Beijing by our laboratory in 1988. It is evident that all the isolates isolated from Shanghai, Henan and Fujian provinces in 1986 were Coxsackie-virus A 24 variant (CA 24V).