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Published on: July 22, 2012
Molecular study of human astrovirus in Egyptian children with acute gastroenteritis
Maysaa El Sayed Zaki1, Ghada El-Saeed Mashaly2, Mona Abdel Latif Alsayed3
1MD, Clinical Pathology Department, Mansoura Faculty of Medicine, Egypt.
Insights
Human astrovirus (HAstV) is a common cause of gastroenteritis in Egyptian children, particularly those under one year old. HAstV-8 was the most prevalent genotype identified in this study.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Virology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Human astrovirus (HAstV) is an emerging cause of acute gastroenteritis in young children globally.
- Data on HAstV prevalence and genotypes in Egyptian children with gastroenteritis is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence and genotype distribution of HAstV in Egyptian children suffering from acute gastroenteritis.
- To identify risk factors associated with HAstV infection in this population.
Main Methods:
- Stool samples were collected from 100 children with acute gastroenteritis.
- HAstV detection was performed using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
- Genotyping utilized type-specific reverse transcription nested PCR.
Main Results:
- HAstV was detected in 11% of the children studied.
- Infection was more common in children aged one year or younger, those from rural areas, during summer, and associated with fever.
- The predominant HAstV genotypes were HAstV-8 (72.7%), HAstV-3 (18.2%), and HAstV-2 (9.1%).
Conclusions:
- HAstV is a significant pathogen causing gastroenteritis in Egyptian children, with higher prevalence in rural settings.
- HAstV-8 is the most common genotype circulating in this population.
Introduction:
Human astrovirus (HAstV) has been increasingly identified as an important cause of acute gastroenteritis in young children. Limited information is available about the prevalence and genotype distribution of classic HAstV causing acute gastroenteritis in Egyptian children.
Methods:
Stool samples were collected from 100 infants and children attending the gastroenterology outpatient clinic in Mansoura University Children Hospital and suffering from acute gastroenteritis during the period extending from January 2018 to January 2019. Samples were tested for HAstV using reverse transcription PCR. Genotyping was performed using type-specific reverse transcription nested PCR.
Results:
Among 100 children included in this study, the detection rate of HAstV was 11% (11 patients). There was a significant difference regarding age between cases positive and negative for HAstV (p=0.005). There was a higher prevalence of HAstV in children aged one year or younger. Significant association was detected between HAstV positive cases and rural residence (p=0.002), summer season (p=0.025) and fever (p=0.017). The HAstV genotypes detected were HAstV-8 (8/11, 72.7%), HAstV-3 (2/11, 18.2%) and HAstV-2 (1/11, 9.1%).
Conclusions:
This study suggests that HAstV is a common pathogen causing gastroenteritis in Egyptian children especially in rural areas. The most frequent HAstV genotype in our study was HAstV-8.
