Related Experiment Videos
Role of enteric adenoviruses and rotaviruses in mild and severe acute enteritis
1Department of Pediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.
Insights
Rotavirus significantly causes acute gastroenteritis in Indian children, being more prevalent in severe cases. Enteric-type adenoviruses, beyond types 40 and 41, may also contribute to childhood diarrhea.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases
- Gastroenterology
- Virology
Background:
- Acute gastroenteritis is a major cause of childhood illness globally.
- Rotavirus and enteric-type adenoviruses are known viral pathogens implicated in gastroenteritis.
- Understanding the specific roles of these viruses in different settings is crucial for public health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence and role of rotaviruses and enteric-type adenoviruses in mild and severe acute gastroenteritis among young children in India.
- To compare viral detection rates between urban and rural healthcare settings.
- To assess the association between viral detection and disease severity.
Main Methods:
- Case-control study involving children under 5 years with acute gastroenteritis and age-matched controls.
- Data collected from an urban hospital and a rural health center in India.
- Detection of rotavirus and enteric-type adenoviruses using molecular methods (implied).
Main Results:
- Rotavirus was significantly more common in children with gastroenteritis than in controls at both urban and rural sites (P < 0.001).
- Rotavirus excretion was 3- to 5-fold higher in severe diarrhea cases compared to mild diarrhea cases (P < 0.001).
- Enteric-type adenoviruses (non-40/41) showed a higher detection rate in rural gastroenteritis cases than controls (P < 0.001), suggesting a potential role.
Conclusions:
- Rotavirus is a significant etiological agent of acute gastroenteritis in young Indian children, with higher prevalence in severe cases.
- The role of enteric-type adenoviruses in causing gastroenteritis may extend beyond types 40 and 41.
- Findings highlight the importance of rotavirus vaccination and warrant further investigation into non-40/41 adenovirus types.
Abstract:
The role of enteric-type adenoviruses and rotaviruses in mild and severe acute gastroenteritis was investigated among children younger than 5 years of age seeking treatment at an urban hospital (UH) and at a rural health center (RHC) in India. There were 330 children at the UH and 340 at the RHC; 319 and 315 age matched nondiarrheal children served as controls for the respective groups. Rotavirus was detected in 15.2% of 330 cases and 1.9% of 319 controls at the UH (P less than 0.001) and in 16.5% of 340 cases and 2.9% of 315 controls at the RHC (P less than 0.001). RV excretion was 3- to 5-fold more common in severe compared with mild diarrhea at the UH and at the RHC (P less than 0.001). The detection rate for enteric-type adenoviruses was similar in patients and controls, respectively, at the UH (0.9%; 2.5%) and RHC (3.8%; 2.5%). At the RHC adenovirus types other than 40 and 41 were excreted by 8.8% of the patients and by only 1.0% of the controls (P less than 0.001). It is possible that the diarrheagenic role of adenoviruses may not be restricted to types 40 and 41.