Coxsackievirus B5 Aseptic Meningitis in Infants in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, in 2016.

BACKGROUND: Infantile aseptic meningitis is a rare infection of the central nervous system. Coxsackievirus B5 (CVB5) is an enterovirus that is sometimes associated with aseptic meningitis and encephalitis.

CASE PRESENTATION: We report on three isolated infants with aseptic meningitis caused by CVB5 in the spring and summer of 2016 with nearly identical 404-bp CVB5 Viral Capsid Protein 1 (VP1) sequences. In addition, viral analysis of sewage samples from Chiba Prefecture in 2016 showed similar 404-bp CVB5 VP1 sequences from May to September 2016.

CONCLUSION: These results indicate that viral screening of sewage water may help detect occult outbreaks of viral infection, particularly for enterovirus strains.