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Published on: January 28, 2019
Effect of rotavirus vaccine on Sapporo virus gastroenteritis in Finnish infants
1Department of Virology, University of Tampere, Medical School, Finland.
Insights
Sapporo-like viruses (SLVs) are common causes of gastroenteritis in young children. Rotavirus vaccination reduced the severity and duration of SLV-associated diarrhea, though not the number of infections.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Vaccinology
Background:
- Sapporo-like viruses (SLVs) are globally prevalent, yet data on associated gastroenteritis outside Japan is scarce.
- Understanding SLV epidemiology is crucial for public health, especially in pediatric populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence and clinical characteristics of SLV-associated gastroenteritis in young Finnish children.
- To assess the impact of rotavirus vaccination on SLV infections and disease severity.
Main Methods:
- A reverse transcription-PCR assay with novel primers was used to detect SLVs in stool specimens from 1,432 children aged 2 months to 2 years.
- Participants were part of a rotavirus vaccine trial, with stool samples collected from both vaccinated and placebo groups.
Main Results:
- SLVs were detected in 9.2% of gastroenteritis episodes, and were the sole detected virus in 5.6% of cases.
- SLV seasonality peaked from March to May, coinciding with other common respiratory and enteric viruses.
- SLV gastroenteritis presented as mild diarrhea, distinct from Norwalk-like virus illness. Rotavirus vaccination reduced diarrhea intensity and duration in SLV cases.
Conclusions:
- SLVs are significant contributors to acute gastroenteritis in young Finnish children, primarily causing mild to severe diarrhea.
- Rotavirus vaccination appears to mitigate the severity of SLV-associated diarrhea through an unidentified mechanism.
Background:
Sapporo-like viruses (SLVs) occur worldwide, but there is limited information about the SLV-associated gastroenteritis outside Japan.
Methods:
Stool specimens from 1,432 episodes of gastroenteritis that occurred in children between 2 months and 2 years of age during a rotavirus vaccine trial (776 episodes in placebo-vaccinated and 656 in rotavirus-vaccinated infants) were examined for SLVs using a reverse transcription-PCR assay. The reverse transcription-PCR took advantage of new primers specific for Sapporo virus genetic clusters I, II and III; SV/SV82 (SV/Sapporo virus 82); SV/Lond92 (SV/ London 92); and SV/PV (Parkville virus).
Results:
SLVs were detected in association with 132 (9.2%) of all episodes; in 80 (5.6%) episodes SLV was the only gastroenteritis virus detected. The epidemic season of SLVs peaked from March to May concurrently with rotaviruses and astroviruses and overlapping withNorwalk-like viruses. Clinically SLV gastroenteritis was characterized by a mild diarrheal disease, being sharply different from the Norwalk-like virus-associated "winter vomiting disease." Rotavirus vaccination did not have any effect on the number of SLV episodes, but the intensity and duration of SLV-associated diarrhea were reduced in rotavirus-vaccinated children compared with placebo-vaccinated children (P = 0.0008).
Conclusions:
SLVs are common causative agents of acute gastroenteritis in young Finnish children. SLV disease is characterized by diarrhea, which is usually mild but can be severe. By an unknown mechanism rotavirus vaccine seems to reduce the severity of SLV-associated diarrhea.
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