Background:Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is a member of Herpesviridae and a leading cause of human viral diseases. Meningitis occurs as a complication of HSV-1 or HSV-2 primary infection.Objectives:We aimed to evaluate HSV meningitis in children in Gorgan province, Iran.Patients and Methods:Forty-five cerebrospinal fluid samples were taken from children referred with meningitis symptoms. Samples with negative bacterial culture results were tested for viral, biochemical and cytological assays. DNA extraction and PCR were performed.Results:HSV-1 detected in 4 (8.8%) samples without any HSV-2 infections. Cases with positive results had fever and CSF pleocytosis. Vomiting, headache and higher count of WBC were observed in 3, 2 and 3 cases respectively. The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) glucose and protein levels were normal and 3 cases showed positive C-reactive protein (CRP) results. Also erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was higher than normal in all positive cases.Conclusions:Distribution of HSV types in children with meningitis in our area predominantly was type 1 compared with type 2, which has been reported more in other area.

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Background and objectives: Kawasaki disease is an acute systemic vasculitis of unknown etiology that affects infants and children under 5 years of age. The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiology of this disease in the Golestan Province, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on all patients (51 individuals) who had been admitted to the Taleghani Hospital in Gorgan (Iran) from September 2005 to October 2012. Characteristics of the patients were extracted from patients' records. Data were analyzed in SPSS (version 16.0) using chi-square test and independent t-test. Results: Of 51 patients, 30 (58.8%) were male and 39 were under 2 years of age (76.47%). The annual incidence rate of Kawasaki disease in the Golestan Province was 37.39 per 100,000 persons. The most common clinical manifestations were skin rash (68.6%), conjunctivitis (51%) and changes of lip and oropharyngeal mucosa (60.8%). In terms of laboratory findings, erythrocyte sedimentation rate of greater than 35, positive C-reactive protein and anemia were found in 74.5%, 88.2% and 68.6% of the patients, respectively. In terms of cardiac involvement, echocardiography had been performed for 42 cases, of which 38 were normal and 5 were abnormal. Moreover, abdominal sonography had been performed on 37 cases, and one case had splenomegaly. Conclusion: In the Golestan Province, Kawasaki disease is more prevalent among children under the age of 2 years. The most common clinical symptoms of this disease are skin rashes and changes in lip and oropharyngeal mucosa. Furthermore, the rate of cardiac complications is significantly low at this center.