Purpose: We have developed and applied reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction for the detection of enterovirus 70 from conjunctival swabs of patients among the population of an acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis epidemic on Okinawa, Japan, in 1994.
Methods: The primers used were selected from the VP1, VP2, and VP3 regions of the enterovirus 70 nucleotide sequence.
Results: Twelve of 27 culture-negative specimens were positive by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.
Conclusions: The reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction test provides a reliable diagnostic method that readily allows specific detection of enterovirus 70 in patients with acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis in whom low enterovirus 70 recovery rates have been obtained recently by cell culture.