title: Detection by immune electron microscopy of 27-nm viral particles associated with community-acquired diarrhea in children.
abstract: The proportion of diarrheal illnesses of unknown origin that were associated with small round virus (SRV, 23-38 nm) particles among children less than 2 years old attending an outpatient clinic in Baltimore was determined. During a 9-month period, stool specimens from 188 patients with acute diarrhea and 108 healthy age-matched control children were examined for enteric bacterial pathogens, protozoa, enteric adenovirus, and rotavirus. An enteropathogen was identified in 75 patients (40%) and in 21 controls (20%). A random sample of specimens without an identifiable pathogen was then examined for SRV particles by immune electron microscopy (IEM) using commercial human gamma globulin. Viruses of 26-30 nm diameter that were not enteroviruses were detected in specimens from 9 (12.5%) of the 72 patients and 1 (1.8%) of the 53 control subjects (P less than .04). Of 6 patients with available acute and convalescent sera, 4 demonstrated a significant immune response when tested by IEM. All patients experienced a mild, self-limited (1-3 days) illness. These findings suggest that SRV may be endemic in the Baltimore community and may result in clinically significant diarrheal illnesses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland, Baltimore.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Vial
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Kotloff
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Tall
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Levine
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003968:Diarrhea, Infantile / Q000382:microbiology*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007223:Infant; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014771:Virion / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*