Related Experiment Videos
Distinct populations of rotaviruses circulating among neonates and older infants
Insights
Neonatal rotavirus (HRV) infections occurred frequently in hospitalized infants but without diarrhea. Distinct HRV strains circulated in neonates compared to older infants, suggesting separate viral populations.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Neonatal Health
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Human rotavirus (HRV) is a significant cause of infant gastroenteritis.
- Understanding neonatal HRV infection dynamics is crucial for public health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the incidence and characteristics of human rotavirus (HRV) infections in neonates.
- To compare HRV strains circulating in neonates with those in older infants.
Main Methods:
- Stool specimens were collected from 371 neonates at different time points post-birth.
- HRV detection and characterization (electropherotypes, serotypes) were performed.
- Incidence rates of neonatal HRV infection were calculated.
Main Results:
- Seventy neonates acquired HRV in the hospital, with an incidence rate of 0.094 episodes per infant day.
- No diarrhea was observed in any of the 78 neonatal HRV infection episodes.
- Neonates predominantly shed HRV serotypes 2 and 4, with some strains unique to this age group, while serotypes 1 and 3 were absent.
Conclusions:
- Neonatal HRV infections are common but typically asymptomatic.
- Distinct HRV populations appear to circulate in neonates versus older infants.
- Further research is needed to understand the implications of these distinct HRV strains.
Abstract:
We obtained three stool specimens from each of 371 neonates. Two specimens were obtained between days 1 and 3 after birth, while they were in the hospital, and one specimen was obtained between days 6 and 14 after birth, after they had been discharged from the hospital. Seventy neonates excreted human rotavirus (HRV) while they were in the hospital, and the incidence rate for the cohort was 0.094 episodes per infant day. The incidence rate of community-acquired neonatal infections was markedly reduced to 0.022 episodes per infant day, with eight additional episodes of infection being detected after the infants were discharged from the hospital. Nevertheless, this was higher than the incidence of community-acquired HRV infection of 0.0037 episodes per infant day previously estimated by serology for the same cohort during the subsequent 2 years of infancy. None of the 78 episodes of neonatal HRV infection was accompanied by diarrhea. There were at least 44 distinct electropherotypes of HRV circulating among older infants in the community during the study period, and they comprised at least four different serotypes. Despite the genetic and antigenic diversity of the prevalent HRV isolates, only five electropherotypes with either serotype 2 or 4 specificity were isolated from the neonates, while serotype 1 and 3 viruses were not detected. Two of these electropherotypes, including one which was isolated from 57 of the 78 infants with episodes of infection, were isolated exclusively from the neonates. The other three electropherotypes were also isolated from the older infants; one was a major electropherotype and two were minor electropherotypes which were prevalent among the older infants. These results suggest that distinct populations of HRV cocirculate among neonates and older infants.