Volume 16, Number 1—January 2010
Research
Meningitis and a Febrile Vomiting illness Caused by Echovirus Type 4, Northern Territory, Australia
Peter G. Markey
, Joshua S. Davis, Gerry B. Harnett, Simon H. Williams, and David J. Speers
, Joshua S. Davis, Gerry B. Harnett, Simon H. Williams, and David J. SpeersTable 2
Prevalence of clinical features and CSF abnormalities in persons affected by echovirus type 4 viral illness, by age group, Northern Territory, Australia, 2007*
| Features | No. (%) case-patients by age group, y |
Total no. (%) case-patients | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| <1 | 1–4 | 5–14 | >15 | ||
| Clinical features | n = 28 | n = 6 | n = 18 | n = 43 | N = 95 |
| Fever | 28 (100) | 6 (100) | 17 (94) | 32 (74) | 83 (87) |
| Headache | 0 (0) | 4 (67) | 17 (94) | 43 (100) | 64 (67) |
| Vomiting | 5 (18) | 6 (100) | 17 (94) | 35 (81) | 63 (66) |
| Photophobia† | 1 (4) | 2 (40) | 7 (39) | 34 (79) | 44 (47) |
| Diarrhea | 16 (57) | 0 | 2 (12) | 18 (42) | 36 (39) |
| Neck stiffness | 0 | 1 (17) | 9 (50) | 21 (51) | 31 (33) |
| Confusion/irritability | 16 (57) | 2 (33) | 2 (11) | 7 (17) | 27 (29) |
| Rash |
6 (22) |
2 (33) |
3 (19) |
5 (12) |
16 (17) |
| CSF abnormalities | n = 27 | n = 5 | n = 15 | n = 35 | n = 82 |
| Glucose <2.7 mmol/L | 7 (27) | 0 | 0 | 3 (9) | 10 (12) |
| Increased CSF protein‡ | 10 (39) | 1 (20) | 1 (7) | 26 (74) | 38 (47) |
| Leukocyte count >5 cells/mL | 8 (30) | 5 (100) | 15 (100) | 31 (90) | 59 (72) |
| Leukocyte count >5 cells/mL and >50% monocytes | 5 (19) | 2 (40) | 10 (67) | 28 (80) | 45 (55) |
*CSF, cerebrospinal fluid.
†Presence or absence of clinical features was not discernible in all cases.
‡Age-specific normal values for protein were defined as follows: <1 month, <0.9 mg/L; 1–2 months, <0.77 mg/L; 3 months, 0.6 mg/L; and >3 months, 0.45 mg/L (7).
