Epidemiological study of prevalence of genogroup II human calicivirus (Mexico virus) infections in Japan and Southeast Asia as determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.
Mexico virus (MXV) is a genogroup II human calicivirus (HuCV). We conducted an epidemiological study to determine the prevalence of MXV infection in infants and adults in Japan and Southeast Asia by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) developed by using baculovirus-expressed recombinant MXV (rMXV) capsids. Of 155 stool specimens obtained from children younger than 10 years old with acute clinical gastroenteritis (diarrhea and vomiting) associated with small, round-structured viruses in Japan from 1987 to 1989, only 2 were positive for MXV antigen. In 42 outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis in Japan from 1986 to 1994, 1 in an infant home and 1 among adults were positive for MXV antigen. The pattern of acquisition of antibody to rMXV was different from that of acquisition of antibody to group A rotavirus, the prototype HuCV Sapporo virus, and Norwalk virus. The prevalence of antibody to rMXV remained low for the first 3 years of life, showed a steep rise during nursery school age, reaching a prevalence of 50%, and another steep rise during adolescence, reaching 80%; and steadily increased thereafter. A high prevalence of antibody (82 to 88%) was observed in adult populations in Japan and Southeast Asia, suggesting that MXV infection is common in these areas. The discrepancy between the high prevalence of antibody to MXV and a low rate of detection of MXV antigen may be explained by a high specificity of the antigen ELISA for the prototype and closely related MXV strains while serological responses can detect responses to a broader group of viruses.
Department of Pediatrics, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan. shonma@sapmed.ac.jp
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Honma
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Nakata
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Numata
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Kogawa
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Yamashita
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Oseto
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Jiang
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Chiba
D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D001210:Asia, Southeastern / Q000453:epidemiology; D002139:Caliciviridae / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017250:Caliciviridae Infections / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002213:Capsid / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014162:Transfection; D014839:Vomiting / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins