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Serological response to rotavirus infection in newborn infants
1Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
Insights
Rotavirus was identified in 20% of newborns at HMIC, with higher infection rates in nurseries. Most infected infants were asymptomatic, and serological responses showed limited neutralization capabilities against rotavirus strains.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Neonatal Immunology
Background:
- Rotavirus is a leading cause of severe diarrhea in infants worldwide.
- Understanding rotavirus epidemiology and host immune responses in neonates is crucial for developing effective prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify rotavirus strains in newborns at Hospital Materno Infantil de Caricuao (HMIC).
- To evaluate the serological responses of these neonates to different rotavirus strains.
- To compare findings with a previous study at Maternidad Concepcion Palacios (MCP).
Main Methods:
- Stool sample analysis for rotavirus detection in 266 newborns at HMIC.
- Serological testing (IgA, neutralization) of infants' blood samples.
- VP7 and VP4 genotyping of identified rotavirus strains using RNA hybridization.
Main Results:
- Rotavirus was detected in 54 of 266 (20%) newborns at HMIC.
- Infection rates were significantly higher in nursery-admitted infants (75%) versus rooming-in infants (7%).
- Most infected infants (43/54) were asymptomatic; 11/54 had diarrhea.
- 27/28 HMIC rotavirus strains were serotype 4 (VP7), and 24/24 were similar to the M37 strain (VP4).
- IgA seroresponses were observed in 73% of HMIC infants and 67% of MCP infants, but neutralization responses were low in both groups.
Conclusions:
- The M37 rotavirus strain, associated with asymptomatic infection, was prevalent in newborns at both HMIC and MCP.
- Neonatal rotavirus infections, particularly with the M37 strain, often result in asymptomatic shedding.
- Infants mounted IgA responses but showed limited capacity to neutralize homologous or heterologous rotavirus strains, highlighting potential vulnerabilities.
Abstract:
We report the identification of rotavirus in stools of newborn infants at the "Hospital Materno Infantil de Caricuao" (HMIC) as well as the infants' serological responses to various rotavirus strains. The serological responses of another group of rotavirus-positive neonates studied previously at the "Maternidad Concepcion Palacios" (MCP) hospital was also evaluated. Fifty-four of 266 (20%) newborns examined at HMIC shed rotavirus. The infection rate was higher among infants admitted to the nursery (75%) than in those "rooming in" with their mothers (7%) (P < .01). Eleven of the 54 neonates (20%) had diarrhea; seven of them experienced mild, short-lived episodes, whereas five had frequent diarrhea bouts or diarrhea lasting for over 3 days; the remaining 43 infants were asymptomatic. Twenty-seven of 28 rotavirus specimens tested at HMIC had VP7 serotype 4 specificity and one belonged to VP7 serotype 1; VP4 typing performed on 24 of the viruses by RNA hybridization showed these viruses to be similar to the M37 strain, a rotavirus previously associated with asymptomatic infections in newborns at MCP. IgA seroresponses were detected in eight of 11 infants born at HMIC (73%), but most failed to developed neutralization responses to homologous or heterologous strains. Newborn infants who had shed the M37 rotavirus strain at MCP reacted similarly: 16 of 24 (67%) developed a rotavirus IgA rise, but only 29% developed a neutralization response.