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Gastroenteritis of infants in two Canadian communities
Insights
Enteroviruses were frequently detected in infants, with coxsackievirus and echovirus dominating in Toronto. In contrast, New Westminster infants predominantly shed poliovirus, with no co-infections found between viruses and bacteria.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Enteroviruses are common viral pathogens in infants.
- Gastroenteritis in infants can be caused by various viral and bacterial agents.
- Surveillance of viral infections in pediatric populations is crucial for public health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence and types of enteroviruses in hospitalized infants.
- To compare enterovirus isolates between infants with and without gastroenteritis.
- To examine the geographical distribution of enterovirus strains in Canadian infants.
Main Methods:
- Enteroviruses were isolated from rectal swabs of infants using cell culture.
- Patients were categorized into cases (gastroenteritis) and controls (no gastroenteritis).
- Isolates were identified, and co-infections with enteropathogenic bacteria were assessed.
Main Results:
- Enteroviruses were detected in 11 of 1391 hospitalized infants and 23 of 1231 controls.
- Toronto infants showed a predominance of coxsackievirus and echovirus.
- New Westminster infants predominantly shed Sabin attenuated poliovirus strains; no simultaneous viral and bacterial infections were observed.
Conclusions:
- Enterovirus prevalence varies geographically in infants.
- Different enterovirus serotypes may be associated with specific clinical presentations or geographical locations.
- Bacterial and viral pathogens appear to be independent causes of illness in this infant cohort.
Abstract:
Enteroviruses were isolated from 11 of 1391 rectal swabs collected from 1103 infants aged less than 2 years who were hospitalized in Toronto, Ontario, and New Westminster, British Columbia, between April 1966 and March 1969. Viruses were recovered from 23 of 1231 rectal swabs obtained from 1076 age-matched control patients without gastroenteritis. The dominance of coxsackievirus and echovirus strains in Toronto patients with and without gastroenteritis contrasted sharply to their extremely low incidence in New Westminster where the Sabin attenuated strains of poliovirus composed the majority of isolates from both categories of patient. Although enteropathogenic bacteria were identified in 36 cases of gastroenteritis and 11 control subjects, no patient excreted a bacterial pathogen and a virus simultaneously.