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[Evaluation of 2 fast methods for the detection of rotaviruses in fecal samples]
R Sánchez1, P Muñoz, P Catalán
1Servicio de Microbiología Clínica, Hospital General Gregorio Marañón, Madrid.
Background:
Rotavirus is one of the major causes of acute gastroenteritis in childhood. Several rapid methods for rotavirus detection are currently available, although their efficacy have a great variability. We performed a prospective study to evaluate two rapid tests for detection of rotavirus antigens in faeces.
Methods:
Using electron microscopy as the reference method, we compared two techniques for diagnosis of rotavirus infection: a monoclonal ELISA (Rotaclone, Cambridge Bioscencer, Worcester) and a policlonal latex agglutination (Diarlex, Orion Diagnostics, Finland). We tested, in parallel, 192 stools samples received in our laboratory to investigate rotavirus.
Results:
ELISA showed significantly better sensitivity than latex (100 vs 66.6%), while both methods had similar specificity (98.6%).
Conclusions:
Of the tested methods, ELISA was superior due to the high sensibility and specificity, good reproductibility and easy interpretation. It also permits the simultaneous performance of several tests.