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Detection and Genogrouping of Noroviruses from Children's Stools By Taqman One-step RT-PCR
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Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of pediatric gastroenteritis associated with new viral agents

Sara Giordana Rimoldi1, Fabrizio Stefani, Cristina Pagani

  • 1Microbiology Unit, University Hospital L. Sacco, Milan, Italy. Rimoldi.sara@hsacco.it

Archives of Virology
|June 7, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Human rotavirus (HRV) was the most common cause of pediatric gastroenteritis in a Milan study. Norovirus (NoV) and human bocavirus (HBoV) were also significant, often co-infecting patients.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases
  • Virology
  • Gastroenterology

Background:

  • Gastroenteritis is a common pediatric illness.
  • Viral pathogens are frequent causes of gastroenteritis in children.
  • Understanding the prevalence and characteristics of different viruses is crucial for public health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the incidence of various viral pathogens in pediatric gastroenteritis.
  • To analyze the clinical presentation and severity of infections.
  • To characterize norovirus strains identified in the study population.

Main Methods:

  • A 22-month prospective study of 273 pediatric patients with gastroenteritis.
  • Fecal sample analysis using molecular methods for rotavirus (HRV), norovirus (NoV), adenovirus (AdV), sapovirus (SaV), and human bocavirus (HBoV).
  • Clinical data collection and scoring using the Ruska-Vesikari system for 109 patients; nucleotide sequencing for NoV samples.

Main Results:

  • Human rotavirus (HRV) showed the highest incidence (38.3%), followed by norovirus (NoV) (16.2%), human bocavirus (HBoV) (13.6%), adenovirus (AdV) (2.6%), and sapovirus (SaV) (0.6%).
  • Common symptoms included diarrhea (96%), vomiting (78%), and fever (80%).
  • Mixed infections involving NoV, HRV, and HBoV occurred in 13.1% of cases. Adenovirus infections were less severe than those caused by NoV, HRV, and HBoV. NoV sequencing identified GII.2, GII.3, and GII.4 2006 variants.

Conclusions:

  • Human rotavirus is the predominant viral cause of gastroenteritis in this pediatric cohort.
  • Norovirus and human bocavirus are significant contributors to pediatric gastroenteritis, often presenting with similar clinical symptoms.
  • Mixed viral infections are common and complicate clinical diagnosis.
  • Molecular characterization of norovirus revealed specific GII variants circulating during the study period.

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