Background: Enterovirus (EV) infections are one of the most common causes of aseptic meningitis in pediatrics. To diagnose EV meningitis, virus isolation in cell cultures is often time consuming and lacks sensitivity to be of clinical relevance. This makes the virus culture results difficult to interpret. The rapid detection of EVs in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) by molecular diagnostic techniques may improve the management of patients with aseptic meningitis. The purpose of the present study was to develop a more convenient and sensitive alternative technique to viral culture. The current investigation aimed to explore the prevalence of EVs in CSF of children with suspected aseptic meningitis in northern Iran, between June 2014 and March 2015 via the one-step real-time RT-PCR technique.

Methods: A single center cross-sectional study was carried out on 50 children suspected with aseptic meningitis, aged 6 months to 13 years. The presence of EV RNA in CSF samples was screened by the use of qualitative one-step real-time RT-PCR.

Results: Enteroviral RNA was detected in 9 (18%) subjects using the one-step real-time RT-PCR assay. There was significant difference between EV positive and negative subjects regarding mean age (P=0.023), mean lymphocyte percentage (P=0.001) and mean glucose levels in CSF (P=0.037). The disease onset data indicate that the majority of EV meningitis occurred in the summer.

Conclusion: This study provides the first data on the prevalence and epidemiology of EV infections in children with suspected aseptic meningitis in northern Iran.