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Viral gastroenteritis among young children in northern Jordan
M M Meqdam1, M T Youssef, L F Nimri
1Department of Applied Biology, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan.
Insights
A study found that enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) detected rotavirus in nearly 40% of infant diarrhea cases in Jordan, significantly more than electron microscopy. This highlights ELISA
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Pediatric infectious diseases
- Public health surveillance
Background:
- Diarrhea remains a major cause of infant mortality globally.
- Viral pathogens are significant contributors to pediatric gastroenteritis.
- Accurate diagnostic methods are crucial for effective disease management and control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of viral gastroenteritis in young children in northern Jordan.
- To compare the diagnostic performance of direct electron microscopy (EM) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for rotavirus detection.
- To assess the sensitivity and specificity of ELISA for rotavirus in this population.
Main Methods:
- Collection of 439 diarrheal fecal specimens from children under 3 years old.
- Testing specimens using direct electron microscopy (EM) for various viruses.
- Utilizing ELISA specifically for rotavirus detection.
- Evaluating ELISA's diagnostic accuracy against a reference standard.
Main Results:
- Rotavirus was detected by EM in 18.9% of cases, adenoviruses in 1.1%, and small round viruses in 0.68%.
- ELISA detected rotavirus in a substantially higher proportion of cases, 39.6%.
- ELISA demonstrated a sensitivity of 95.2% and a specificity of 73.3% for rotavirus detection.
Conclusions:
- Rotavirus is a prevalent cause of diarrhea in infants and young children in northern Jordan.
- ELISA is a more sensitive method for detecting rotavirus compared to direct EM in this setting.
- The findings underscore the importance of rotavirus vaccination and improved diagnostic strategies for pediatric diarrhea.
Abstract:
During the summer months of 1992 and 1993, a total of 439 diarrhoeatic fecal specimens from infants and young children less than 3 years of age admitted to the pediatric ward of Princess Basma Teaching Hospital, northern Jordan were tested for the presence of viruses using direct electron microscopy (EM) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for rotavirus. EM revealed rotaviruses in 83 (18.9 per cent) of cases, adenoviruses in five (1.1 per cent) cases, and small round viruses in three (0.68 per cent) cases. In contrast, the ELISA assay detected rotaviruses in 174 (39.6 per cent) of cases. In an evaluation of the collected diarrhoeatic fecal samples for rotavirus detected by ELISA, a sensitivity of 95.2 per cent and a specificity of 73.3 per cent was demonstrated.