Human Bocavirus Infection Markers in Peripheral Blood and Stool Samples of Children with Acute Gastroenteritis

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Pediatrics
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Human bocaviruses (HBoVs) 1–4 are parvoviruses infecting children's respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts.
• Prevalence and pathogenic role of HBoVs in pediatric acute gastroenteritis (AGE) remain under investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of HBoV1–4 DNA and antibodies in children with AGE.
• To identify HBoV co-infections with common gastrointestinal pathogens.
• To assess the role of HBoV1 and HBoV2 as monoinfections in pediatric AGE.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of blood and stool samples from 83 children (≤5 years) with AGE.
• Detection of HBoV1–4 viral DNA in blood and stool.
• Detection of HBoV1–4 IgG and IgM antibodies in plasma.
• Identification of co-infections with common gastrointestinal viruses (norovirus, rotavirus).

Main Results:

• Infection markers for HBoV1, 2, or 3 were detected in 73.5% of patients.
• HBoV1, HBoV2, or HBoV3 DNA was found as a monoinfection in 21.7% of patients.
• Co-infections with other viruses, primarily norovirus or rotavirus, were present in 56.1% of HBoV DNA-positive cases.

Conclusions:

• This study provides the first data on HBoV prevalence and genetic diversity in Latvian children with gastroenteritis.
• HBoVs are widespread in the community, with HBoV1 and HBoV2 commonly acting as single infectious agents in pediatric AGE.
• HBoV1 and HBoV2 demonstrate pathogenic potential comparable to other enteric agents in children.