Early and rapid diagnosis of acute haemorrhagic conjunctivitis with tear specimens.

Picornavirus particles and serotype-specific neutralizing antibody were demonstrated in tears collected during early onset of acute haemorrhagic conjunctivitis. Virus particles deposited from tears by airfuge ultracentrifugation and stained with potassium phosphotungstate were easily recognized by electron microscopy. Tear neutralizing antibody in the ultracentrifuged supernatant was detected by the neutralization test in monolayer HeLa cells grown in microtitration plates. The presence of virus particles and specific neutralizing antibody in tear specimens correlated with the serological findings.