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Assays for the Specific Growth Rate and Cell-binding Ability of Rotavirus
Published on: January 28, 2019
Rotavirus Quantification in Children with Acute Gastroenteritis
Ilaria Galliano1, Valentina Daprà1, Maddalena Dini1
1Department of Public Health and Pediatric Sciences, Pediatrics Laboratory, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
Insights
Rotavirus (RV) was detected in 34.7% of children hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis (AGE). This study quantified RV viral load in fecal samples to guide antibiotic use and reduce drug resistance.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric infectious diseases
- Molecular diagnostics
- Virology
Background:
- Antibiotic overuse is common for childhood diarrhea, regardless of cause.
- Reducing antimicrobial resistance necessitates accurate diagnosis of infectious agents.
- Rotavirus (RV) is a significant cause of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify rotavirus (RV) in fecal samples from children with AGE using TaqMan real-time PCR.
- To support antibiotic stewardship programs by identifying viral etiologies.
- To assess the prevalence of RV in hospitalized children with AGE.
Main Methods:
- Collected 190 fecal specimens from children under 5 with AGE in Italy (2017).
- Utilized TaqMan real-time PCR to quantify RV genomic detection.
- Tested for other common gastrointestinal viruses including norovirus, astrovirus, and adenovirus.
Main Results:
- Rotavirus (RV) was detected in 66 out of 190 (34.7%) children with AGE.
- The median RV viral load was 7.2E+11 ± 60E+11 genomes/mg of feces.
- Norovirus was the most prevalent virus (41%), followed by astrovirus (15.8%).
Conclusions:
- Rotavirus (RV) accounts for a substantial proportion (34.7%) of AGE hospitalizations in children.
- Quantitative molecular assays accurately measure viral load (viral particles/mg feces).
- Improved clinical utility of quantitative assays like RV viral load can enhance patient management.
Introduction:
Most intractable diarrheas are treated with antibiotics, irrespective of the causative agent. This study aimed to quantify rotavirus (RV) with TaqMan real-time PCR in fecal samples of children with acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in accordance with the program of reduction of drug resistance and use of antibiotics.
Methods:
A total of 190 fecal specimens were collected from under-5-year-old children with AGE in pediatric Hospital Regina Margherita of Turin in Italy in 2017. A total of 38 out of 67 (56.7%) episodes of AGE were associated with RV genomic detection with a multiplex commercial kit.
Results:
All fecal specimens were tested for the presence of RV and other GE viruses. The most commonly detected virus was norovirus (41%), astrovirus (15.8%), human bocavirus (8.9%), sapovirus (7.9%), human parechovirus (5.8%), rhinovirus (4.2%), and adenovirus (1%). In 66 out of 190 (34.7%), RV was detectable with the median viral load 7.2E + 11 ± 60E + 11 genomes/mg fecal specimens.
Discussion/Conclusions:
Our results showed that RV was present in around 34.7% of children hospitalized for AGE, a rate similar to those reported in previous studies conducted elsewhere which were in the range of 33-75%. Our protocols are able to quantify the absolute number of viral particle/mg of feces. The clinical utility of quantitative molecular assays, such as RV viral load, will be markedly improved.
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