Diagnosis of Viral Infections of the Central Nervous System

Abstract
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is now the preferable method of detecting infections of the central nervous system due to herpesvirus.1 It is at least as good as cell culture for detecting such infections caused by enteroviruses.2 There is, however, limited information on the usefulness of this technology when it is applied to arboviral infections or on the use of a battery of PCR tests against a broad range of viruses.3 Since July 1997, we have been studying these issues.