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| Enterovirus strain causing encephalitis (Image: kuleuven) |
According to Dr. Ngo Thi Thi, head of the Microbiology Department at the Central Pediatrics Hospital, PCR technology, which is based on amplifying a segment of the virus’s gene, has successfully identified the enterovirus strain responsible for encephalitis and meningitis at the department’s molecular biology lab.
The PCR method allows for the exponential amplification of the virus, enabling diagnostic results to be obtained even when the patient has just been infected with enterovirus and the viral load is still minimal.
The hospital will continue to develop the PCR technique to detect a group of eight types of viruses commonly causing encephalitis and meningitis in children in our country.
Master Phung Thi Bich Thuy reported that since the beginning of the year, the hospital has received 65 cases of suspected enterovirus encephalitis and meningitis. PCR testing has confirmed that there are 33 cases of encephalitis and meningitis caused by enterovirus.
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