Adenoviruses and pediatric gastroenteritis

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Gastroenterology
• Virology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Adenoviruses are a common cause of illness in children.
• Enteral adenoviruses (group F and G) are known pathogens causing gastroenteritis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence and association of adenoviruses, specifically enteral types, in pediatric inpatients with diarrhea.
• To characterize the clinical presentation and demographic features of children infected with enteral adenoviruses.

Main Methods:

• Electron microscopy of fecal specimens.
• Cell culture inoculation of throat and anal swabs.
• Conventional Hep-2 and 293 cell line cultures for virus isolation.

Main Results:

• Adenoviruses were detected in 8.6% of 900 pediatric inpatients with diarrhea.
• Enteral adenoviruses (types 40/41) were identified in 80% of visualized adenoviruses from patients with diarrhea or vomiting.
• Infected inpatients ranged from 1-16 months, with a median age of seven months.
• Enteral adenoviruses were found to be endemic, detected year-round.

Conclusions:

• Enteral adenoviruses are significantly associated with diarrhea in pediatric inpatients.
• Adenovirus types 40 and 41 are the predominant types causing gastroenteritis in this pediatric population.
• The endemic nature of these viruses highlights the need for continued surveillance and control measures.