Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 15, 2026
Discovery of New Intracellular Pathogens by Amoebal Coculture and Amoebal Enrichment Approaches
Published on: October 27, 2013
Cosavirus, Salivirus and Bufavirus in Diarrheal Tunisian Infants
Siwar Ayouni1,2, Marie Estienney1, Sabeur Hammami3,4
1Centre National de Référence des virus entériques, Laboratoire de virologie-sérologie, Pôle Technique de Biologie, CHU de Dijon, Dijon, France.
Abstract:
Three newly discovered viruses have been recently described in diarrheal patients: Cosavirus (CosV) and Salivirus (SalV), two picornaviruses, and Bufavirus (BuV), a parvovirus. The detection rate and the role of these viruses remain to be established in acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in diarrheal Tunisian infants. From October 2010 through March 2012, stool samples were collected from 203 children <5 years-old suffering from AGE and attending the Children's Hospital in Monastir, Tunisia. All samples were screened for CosV, SalV and BuV as well as for norovirus (NoV) and group A rotavirus (RVA) by molecular biology. Positive samples for the three screened viruses were also tested for astrovirus, sapovirus, adenovirus, and Aichi virus, then genotyped when technically feasible. During the study period, 11 (5.4%) samples were positive for one of the three investigated viruses: 2 (1.0%) CosV-A10, 7 (3.5%) SalV-A1 and 2 (1.0%) BuV-1, whereas 71 (35.0%) children were infected with NoV and 50 (24.6%) with RVA. No mixed infections involving the three viruses were found, but multiple infections with up to 4 classic enteric viruses were found in all cases. Although these viruses are suspected to be responsible for AGE in children, our data showed that this association was uncertain since all infected children also presented infections with several enteric viruses, suggesting here potential water-borne transmission. Therefore, further studies with large cohorts of healthy and diarrheal children will be needed to evaluate their clinical role in AGE.
Insights
Newly identified Cosavirus, Salivirus, and Bufavirus were detected in Tunisian infants with diarrhea. Their role in acute gastroenteritis is uncertain due to co-infections with other enteric viruses, suggesting potential waterborne transmission.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Gastroenterology
- Public Health
Background:
- Three novel viruses, Cosavirus (CosV), Salivirus (SalV) (picornaviruses), and Bufavirus (BuV) (parvovirus), have been recently identified in patients with diarrhea.
- The prevalence and etiological significance of these viruses in acute gastroenteritis (AGE) among infants in Tunisia are not well-established.
- Enteric viral infections are a major cause of diarrheal disease in young children worldwide.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the detection rate of CosV, SalV, and BuV in diarrheal Tunisian infants.
- To investigate the association of these novel viruses with acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in this population.
- To explore potential co-infections with common enteric viruses.
Main Methods:
- Stool samples from 203 infants (<5 years) with AGE were collected between October 2010 and March 2012.
- Samples were screened using molecular methods for CosV, SalV, BuV, norovirus (NoV), and group A rotavirus (RVA).
- Positive samples were further tested for other enteric viruses and genotyped when feasible.
Main Results:
- CosV, SalV, and BuV were detected in 5.4% of the infants (CosV: 1.0%, SalV: 3.5%, BuV: 1.0%).
- Norovirus (35.0%) and rotavirus (24.6%) were the most prevalent viruses.
- No co-infections involving only the three novel viruses were found; however, multiple infections with up to four viruses were common in all positive cases, complicating the assessment of their individual roles in AGE.
Conclusions:
- The study identified the presence of Cosavirus, Salivirus, and Bufavirus in Tunisian infants with diarrhea.
- The etiological role of these novel viruses in acute gastroenteritis remains uncertain due to frequent co-infections with established enteric pathogens.
- Potential waterborne transmission is suggested, necessitating further large-scale studies to clarify their clinical significance in diarrheal illness.
