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[Occurrence of human astrovirus in São Paulo City, Brazil]
K E Stewien1, E L Durigon, H Tanaka
1Departamento de Microbiologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil.
Insights
Human astrovirus causes infantile gastroenteritis in Brazil. This study detected astrovirus in hospitalized children, highlighting its significance in pediatric diarrhea cases.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases
Context:
- A 13-month longitudinal study was conducted at the University Hospital in S. Paulo, Brazil.
- The study focused on hospitalized children under two years of age with and without acute diarrhea.
Purpose:
- To investigate the incidence of human astrovirus infection in hospitalized children.
- To determine the role of astrovirus as a cause of infantile gastroenteritis in Brazil.
Summary:
- Human astrovirus was detected in 2% of children with diarrhea at admission and in 4.8% during their hospital stay.
- Astrovirus detection used a sensitive ASTROVIRUS BIOTIN-AVIDIN ELISA with CDC monoclonal antibodies.
- Positive cases were negative for rotavirus, adenovirus, and common bacterial/parasitic agents, suggesting astrovirus as the primary pathogen.
Impact:
- This is the first report of human astrovirus detection in Brazil.
- Astrovirus is identified as a significant cause of gastroenteritis in young children in the region.
Abstract:
Human astrovirus was detected during a 13-month longitudinal study of the incidence of diarrhoea viruses among hospitalized children (less than 2 years of age) in a pediatric clinic of the city of S. Paulo (University Hospital). Serial fecal samples (intervals of 4 days) were collected from 146 children with and without acute diarrhoea at admission and during their stay in the hospital. Two (3%) of the 67 children with diarrhoea were positive at admission to the clinic by the highly sensitive ASTROVIRUS BIOTIN-AVIDIN ELISA, using CDC monoclonal antibodies (MAb SE7). All 79 children without diarrhoea (controls) were negative for astrovirus at admission. However, astrovirus was detected in 7 (4.8%) of the 146 hospitalized children during their stay in the clinic. Three of the positives shed astroviruses in 2 successive stool samples. All children positive for astrovirus were negative for rotavirus, adenovirus and bacterial and parasitic enteric agents. This is the first study of the detection of human astrovirus in Brazil. Astrovirus appears to be a significant cause of infantile gastroenteritis among young children in this country.