Diagnosis of group A coxsackieviral infection using polymerase chain reaction.

AIMS To examine the relation between enteroviral infection, especially group A coxsackieviral infection, and acute febrile illness over two summers using tissue culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). METHODS Throat swabs were collected from 246 children from June to August 1997 and 1998. RESULTS Enteroviruses were isolated from 33/246 samples and 35 other viruses were isolated. Enteroviral genomes were detected in 54/178 samples from which no virus was isolated. Of 41 enteroviral genotypes identified by sequence analysis of PCR products, 38 were group A coxsackieviruses, which are usually difficult to isolate using tissue culture. CONCLUSION Results indicate that viral detection and identification based on PCR is useful in the diagnosis of group A coxsackieviral infection.