Molecular epidemiology of childhood astrovirus infection in child care centers.
This study assessed the role of human astrovirus (HAstV) in outbreaks and sporadic cases of diarrhea among children attending child care centers (CCCs) and determined the infecting astrovirus antigenic types by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and sequence analysis. Eight astrovirus outbreaks occurred in 6 CCCs. Of 179 children with diarrhea, 36 (20%) had astrovirus-associated diarrhea. Diarrhea stools obtained during diarrhea outbreaks were more likely to contain astrovirus (40/476) than were samples not associated with a diarrhea outbreak (14/452) (P<.001). Type-specific RT-PCR and DNA sequencing identified 5 outbreaks associated with HAstV-1 and 3 outbreaks with HAstV-2. Sequential outbreaks in 2 CCCs occurred with a different type in the same year. Phylogenetic analysis identified 6 clades of HAstV-1 and 2 clades of HAstV-2 during this 1-year surveillance. Astrovirus was a significant cause of diarrhea outbreaks, and 2 antigenic types were present in the community during 1 diarrhea season.
Mitchell
D K
DK
Center for Pediatric Research, Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA 23510-1001, USA. dkmitchel@chkd.com
Matson
D O
DO
Jiang
X
X
Berke
T
T
Monroe
S S
SS
Carter
M J
MJ
Willcocks
M M
MM
Pickering
L K
LK
D000818:Animals; D019350:Astroviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D002656:Child Day Care Centers; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D001257:Mamastrovirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D004279:DNA, Viral