Between 1980 and 1994 the virological laboratory of the Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology was responsible for the typing of enteroviruses, isolated by other, mainly university, hospital laboratories. Altogether 3333 strains of entero non-polio (EnP) were typed. The number and the most common types of EnP virus isolations varied from year to year. Each year two to three predominant types determined the main character of the EnP associated illness seen.

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Placental transfer of maternal IgG is known to be an active process resulting in a concentration on the fetal side of the circulation - at the apparent expense of that in the mother - at full term. However, when this apparent decrease in maternal IgG is related to the actual hemodilution occurring in parallel, the total inventory of the mother’s IgG appears to be constant throughout pregnancy. Therefore, conclusions regarding the variations in IgG concentrations cannot be drawn without simultaneous information about plasma volume fluctuations.

An outbreak of echovirus type 33-induced meningitis which occurred in Belgium in 1982 is reported. To identify the causative agent, titers of an early isolate were measured on a variety of cells in order to select the optimal cells. A human rhabdomyosarcoma cell line was found to be the substrate of choice due to its proficient isolation of the virus. This method of determining infectious titres is recommended for improving enterovirus isolation in other epidemics.

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