title: Detection of astrovirus gastroenteritis in children.
abstract: A commercial enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for the detection of astrovirus antigen was used to detect the virus during a 12-month survey of enteric pathogens in children in outpatient (n = 238) and hospital (n = 176) settings. It was found to have a 100% sensitivity and 98.6% specificity. Nineteen astrovirus isolates were detected and confirmed by northern hybridization, cell culture, and RT-PCR. The virus was detected mainly amongst outpatients although a comparison of the detection rate with that in hospitalised children did not demonstrate a statistically significant difference (p = 0.1347). In contrast, there was a strong association between hospitalization and rotavirus infection (p = 0.0371), and a strong association between infection detected in outpatients and adenovirus infection (p = 0.0193). Strains of astrovirus were sequenced, genotyped and shown to be: type 1 (n = 11), type 3 (n = 1), and type 4 (n = 7). Maximum genetic variation in type 1 isolates was 8.6% and type 4 was 7.8%. Changes did not result in amino acid substitutions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology (SEALS), Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, NSW, Australia. mciverc@sesahs.nsw.gov.au
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: McIver
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Palombo
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Doultree
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mustafa
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.forename: W D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Rawlinson
mesh_terms: D019350:Astroviridae Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007223:Infant; D001257:Mamastrovirus / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010045:Outpatients; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014773:Virology / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data