Human calicivirus-associated sporadic gastroenteritis in Finnish children less than two years of age followed prospectively during a rotavirus vaccine trial.
BACKGROUND
Human caliciviruses (HuCV) cause outbreaks of gastroenteritis, but their role in sporadic diarrhea in young children is not well-established.


METHODS
Children (n = 2398) participating in a trial of oral rhesus-human reassortant rotavirus tetravalent (RRV-TV) vaccine were evaluated from 2 months to 2 years of age. Stool specimens from 1477 episodes of acute gastroenteritis (788 in a placebo and 689 in a RRV-TV vaccine recipient group) were tested for human calicivirus (HuCV) by reverse transcriptase-PCR with the use of broadly reactive primers, and positive results were confirmed by Southern hybridization with probes specific for main genetic clusters of Genogroups I and II of HuCV.


RESULTS
HuCV were detected in 158 (20%) and 155 (22%) cases of gastroenteritis in the placebo and RRV-TV vaccine groups, respectively. According to hybridization results, 8% of HuCV were of Genogroup I and 92% were of Genogroup II. The peak season of HuCV gastroenteritis was from November to February. Of the 148 patients with pure HuCV infection in the placebo group, 89% had vomiting, 79% had watery diarrhea, 21% had fever, 28% needed oral rehydration and 1.4% were hospitalized. The diarrhea in HuCV gastroenteritis was much less severe than that in rotavirus gastroenteritis, but vomiting was equally severe. There was no effect of RRV-TV vaccine on the frequency or clinical severity of HuCV gastroenteritis.


CONCLUSIONS
HuCVs are second in frequency to rotaviruses as causative agents in acute gastroenteritis in young children in the community.
Pang
X L
XL
Department of Virology, University of Tampere, Medical School, Finland.
Joensuu
J
J
Vesikari
T
T
D002139:Caliciviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017250:Caliciviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000276:immunology*; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D022243:Rotavirus Vaccines; D014611:Vaccination; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*
D022243:Rotavirus Vaccines; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated; D014765:Viral Vaccines; C052014:rhesus rotavirus vaccine