SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection in stool samples from acute gastroenteritis cases, Brazil

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Virology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Gastrointestinal symptoms are common in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections.
• The presence and infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 in stool samples from patients with only acute gastroenteritis (AGE) symptoms require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To detect SARS-CoV-2 in stool samples from patients presenting exclusively with AGE symptoms.
• To determine the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in fecal samples during the COVID-19 epidemic.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to screen 121 AGE stool samples.
• Samples were collected from January to July 2020.
• Vero E6 cells were used for virus isolation attempts.

Main Results:

• SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in 27.5% of the screened stool samples.
• The detection rate was significant during the epidemic period.
• No infectious SARS-CoV-2 was isolated in Vero E6 cell cultures.

Conclusions:

• SARS-CoV-2 can be detected in the stool of patients with AGE symptoms alone.
• The presence of viral RNA in stool does not necessarily indicate the presence of infectious virus.
• Further research is needed to understand the implications of fecal viral shedding in SARS-CoV-2 infection.