[Pathogenic Analyses of an Outbreak of Viral Encephalitis Caused by ECHO30 in Guazhou of Gansu Province, China].

We used molecular-biology methods to identify the pathogens that caused an outbreak of viral encephalitis in Guazhou (Gansu province, China)during June-August 2015.We also undertook molecular characterizations of these pathogens. A total of 132samples(14cerebrospinal fluid(CSF)samples;25throat swabs;66serum samples;27fecal samples)were collected from 74 patients during the outbreak of viral encephalitis. For CSF and serum samples, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay immunoglobulin-M tests were undertaken to detect Japanese encephalitis viruses, enteroviruses, herpes simplex viruses, mumps viruses, and adenoviruses. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was done to detect enteroviruses(including coxsackievirus A16 and enterovirus 71) and the RNA of human adenoviruses. Then, viral isolation was carried out using HEp-2 and RD cells, and the entire VP1 region of positive viral isolates was amplified and sequenced. Finally, molecular characterizations of these pathogens were completed. Seventy two samples were identified as enteroviruses from 132 samples. Among them,71 were identified as echovirus(ECHO)30using enterovirus molecular typing. Japanese encephalitis viruses,herpes simplex viruses, mumps viruses, and adenoviruses were not detected.ECHO30 was isolated from 46 samples out of 29 patients.Similarities in nucleic acids among these ECHO30 isolates were 99.2%-100.0%.ECHO30 from Gansu province and other ECHO30 strains isolated in China since 2011 belonged to a same evolutionary branch.ECHO30 was the pathogen that caused the outbreak of viral encephalitis in Guazhou in 2015.ECHO30 from and Gansu province and ECHO30 isolated in China since 2011 belonged to the same evolutionary branch.