title: An outbreak of group C rotavirus gastroenteritis among adults living in Valentim Gentil, São Paulo State, Brazil.
abstract: An outbreak of gastroenteritis affecting adults and children occurred in the small city of Valentim Gentil, São Paulo, Brazil, in 1993. Nineteen faecal samples (from 10 cases and 9 contracts) were examined by direct electron microscopy (DEM), immune electron microscopy (IEM), polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for group A and C rotaviruses. DEM detected rotavirus in 6 of the 10 cases and in none of the contacts. All of the samples were negative for group A rotavirus by ELISA. Analysis by PAGE showed an electrophoretic profile suggestive of group C rotavirus in two cases. Group C rotavirus was identified by IEM in 4 of the cases and in 1 of the contacts. All of the samples were submitted to ELISA for group C rotavirus. This resulted in a total of 10 positives-7 for diarrhoeal cases and 3 for contacts. This outbreak was strongly associated with group C rotavirus. The importance of combining different diagnostic methods is emphasised.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Adolfo Lutz, São Paulo-SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Kisielius
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ueda
authors.forename: Y B
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Gabbay
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Carmona
authors.forename: M do C
authors.initials: Mdo C
authors.lastname: St Timenetsky
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Mascarenhas
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takimoto
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanaka
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012401:Rotavirus