Epidemiology of enteric adenovirus infection in prospectively monitored Argentine families

Abstract

SUMMARYTo examine the role of enteric adenoviruses (EAV) in an urban area of Buenos Aires (Argentina), we prospectively studied faecal samples from 49 families of newborns. These were monitored weekly for diarrhoea for 2 years.A total of 180 samples from cases of diarrhoea and 766 samples obtained during diarrhoea-free periods were studied by dot-blot hybridization with an EAV-specific DNA probe. EAV were found in 6/180 (33 %) cases of diarrhoea and 6/766 (0-8 %) asymptomatic samples (P < 0015). Incidence of EAV was 3*9 cases per 100 person-years in children < 60 months old. EAV-related diarrhoeas were slight and of short duration. In addition, 129 faeces from hospital out-patients, 1-30 months old, were also studied. EAV' was identified in 7/129 cases (54 %). These cases were 9.5 + 35 months old and the diarrhoea was mild or severe, of 3 + 15 days of duration.We suggest that EAV are low-risk causes of diarrhoea under natural conditions, although a few children may develop more severe diarrhoea. The diagnosis of EAV needs to be considered in these patients. INTRODIUCTIONAt present, 47 adenovirus (AV) serotypes have been identified. Group F comprises types 40 and 41; the enteric adenovirus (EAV). These have been implicated as the second most common cause of viral gastroenteritis in infants and young children, after rotavirus [1][2][3]. Most AV serotypes may be excreted in faeces, sometimes for long periods, as with AN' group C [4]. The role of AV other than EAV' in gastroenteritis has recently been suspected [5], although their causal role has not been proved.EAV are difficult to culture and alternative methods, such as immunoassay techniques [6], DNA restriction analysis [7] or molecular hybridization [8], are currently used for diagnosis. EAV usually infect and cause symptoms in children up to 3 years old, but mainly in those 2 years old or younger [9]. Some aetiologic studies of hospitalized and outpatient subjects with diarrhoea have been carried out recently [10][11][12]. Although these studies are necessary in order to determine the importance of the aetiologic agent, the epidemiological results are relevant 21 2

Effect of Rhesus Rotavirus Vaccine on Enteric Adenovirus‐Associated Diarrhea in Children

“…The incidence of enteric adenovirus‐associated gastroenteritis diagnosed by PCR was 6.4%, which is similar to that observed in other studies using conventional diagnostic methods for enteric adenoviruses (6‐18). We also performed an EIA screening of the same stool specimens using adenovirus type 2 hexon antibody as the detector.…”

“…Enteric adenoviruses types 40 and 41 (Ad 40 and Ad 41) are generally regarded as causative agents of acute gastroenteritis in young children (1‐3), whereas other adenoviruses, although frequently detected in stools of both sick and healthy persons (4,5), are not. Studies on enteric adenoviruses in children in hospitals or in those in the community have found the causative role of enteric adenoviruses in acute diarrhea between 0.7% and 14.0% (1,2,5‐18).…”

Patients with enteric adenovirus gastroenteritis admitted to an Australian pediatric teaching hospital from 1981 to 1992

“…Other hospital-based series indicate that nosocomially acquired EAd infections form a major proportion of cases (15,31). Rates obtained from outpatient settings or family studies have shown a similar range of 2 to 5.4% for EAd gastroenteritis (17,21). An earlier survey from Melbourne reported that 8.9% of children who presented to a primary care facility and 7.4% of children admitted to hospital with acute diarrhea had EAd identified from fecal specimens (19).…”

Contagious Acute Gastrointestinal Infections

“…In the United States, the United Kingdom, northern Europe, and Japan, caliciviruses such as the Norwalk and Sapporo viruses are the most common cause of sporadic acute gastrointestinal illness in patients of all age groups except infants and toddlers, in whom rotaviruses predominate. [52][53][54] Adenovirus types 40 and 41 55,56 and astroviruses [57][58][59] have also been implicated. Caliciviruses and astroviruses are more prevalent among outpatients, whereas rotavirus is a common cause of hospitalization.…”