Two hundred and ninety-eight cases of meningitis classified as viral, which occurred during the second half of 1978 within the city of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), were studied. The majority of these cases occurred during the period from September to December and constituted an epidemic outbreak the cause of which was the ECHO-9 virus. The epidemiological, clinical and laboratory characteristics of these cases are presented and discussed. A case-control study was carried out on part of the epidemic cases.
Meningitis, viral; Echoviruses