Between September 2014 and December 2015, 298 sera from rash and fever patients from all over Cuba were investigated for specific IgM antibodies against measles, rubella, dengue, human parvovirus B19 (B19V) and human herpesvirus 6 (HHV6) using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. B19V IgM positive and equivocal samples were investigated by a polymerase chain reaction and genotyping. No measles, rubella or dengue cases were detected. HHV6-IgM antibodies were confirmed in 5.7% and B19V-IgM antibodies in 10.7% of the patients. A total of 31.3% of the B19V cases were between 5 and 9 years old and 34.4% were 20 years and older. The only B19V sequence obtained belonged to genotype 1a. Diagnosis was established for only 16% of the rash and fever patients, suggesting that other diseases such as Zika or Chikungunya may play a role. K E Y W O R D SCuba, human parvovirus B19, rash-fever

To study human rotaviruses in Cuban children up to 5 years old with acute diarrhea, a total of 64 faecal samples from two pediatric hospitals between 2006 and 2008 were analyzed. Thirty-nine samples (60.9%) were found positive for rotaviruses by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), while four (6.2%) exhibited discordant results (ELISA positives/PAGE negatives). All the positive samples were genotyped by a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The most prevalent G and P types were G1 (60.5%) and P[8] (90.6%), respectively. Among the rotaviruses detected, two long RNA patterns were identified by PAGE (L/A and L/B). The predominant genotype in 2006 and 2007 was G1/P[8] with detection rates 71.4% and 80%, respectively. In contrast, G9/P[8] was found at the highest rate (78.5%) in 2008. The phylogenetic analysis of VP7 genes of the ten representative strains indicated that Cuban G1/P[8] rotaviruses were close to those reported in the Americas, and G9/P[8] rotaviruses were located in the lineage of the emerging G9 strains spreading worldwide. This is the first molecular epidemiologic study of rotaviruses in Cuba, highlighting the current increase of the G9 rotavirus which has been recognized globally as an emerging genotype. The study reinforces the need for a systematic surveillance of the molecular epidemiology of rotaviruses.

The aim of the study was to diagnose infections with rotavirus and other enteric pathogens in children under five years old with acute gastroenteritis and to identify the most common epidemiological and clinical characteristics of these pathogens. The study was conducted using 110 stool samples from the same number of children under five years old who were inpatients at three paediatric hospitals in Havana, Cuba, between October and December 2011. The samples were tested for rotavirus and other enteric pathogens using traditional and molecular microbiological methods. Pathogens were detected in 85 (77.3 %) of the children. Rotavirus was the most commonly found, appearing in 54.5 % of the children, followed by bacteria (29 %) and parasites (10.9 %). Other viral pathogens detected included adenovirus (6.4 %) and astrovirus (3.6 %). In rotavirus-positives cases, at least one other pathogen was detected, usually a bacterium (26.6 %). More than three episodes of watery diarrhea in 24 hours were observed in 78.3 % of the cases. Dehydration was found in 30 (50 %) rotavirus-positive children, of whom seven (11.6 %) were transferred to an intensive care unit due to complications of metabolic acidosis. Rotavirus was most commonly observed among children under 12 months old (65 %). The highest incidence of infection occurred in children who were under the care of a relative at home (78.3 %), had not been breastfed (65 %), or had been breastfed for less than six months (28.3 %). The genotype combinations most frequently found were G9P8 (28.3 %) and G1P8 (10 %). This study demonstrates the presence of rotavirus and other enteric pathogens as causes of gastroenteritis in hospitalized infants and young children in Cuba.

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