Non-polio enterovirus from residual paralysis cases, Colombia, 1992-1995

Abstract

Acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) has a wide variety of primary sources and causal agents: physical, physiopathological, toxic and infectious agents. Amongst the latter, Wild Poliovirus and Enterovirus 71 (EV71) are the most frequently isolated agents. After the elimination of native wild poliovirus in Colombia in June, 1991 as the major cause of paralytic illness and having a collection of non-polio enterovirus isolates from 20.8% of the total AFP cases annually notified, there was the need to define non-polio enterovirus role in AFP incidence and the dynamics of their circulation and distribution in Colombia. During 1992-1995, the Epidemiological Surveillance System for Flaccid Paralysis notified 856 cases in children less than 15 years old, of which 69 cases were the object of the present study. 57 isolates were recovered from RD and Hep-2 C cells. Serotype identification was made by neutralisation tests using LBM mixtures (antisera A to H) and molecular characterisation by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) using complementary primers (vira1 genome VPl region) followed by amplified fragment sequencing. Data analysis was done by means of descriptive analysis. No association of old circulation for a specific serotype within a determined geographical region was established, nor was there any causal association with a specific pathology.The presence of an EV 71 isolate in a Guillain-Barré Syndrome case is described.The description of 22 different serotypes of non-polio enteroviruses circulating in Colombia (19 serotypes were identified by molecular methods and 3 by seroneutralisation test) agree with the most frequently found serotypes as described in other studies.The Coxsackievirus 85, B1, 83, Echovirus 6, 7, 13, 20, 30 and Coxsackievirus A2, A10, A14, A16, A18, A21 serotypes were the most frequently found in Colombia during 1992-1995.