Human caliciviruses in acute gastroenteritis of young children in the community.
Episodes of acute gastroenteritis in prospectively followed children between 2 months and 2 years of age were examined for rotaviruses, enteric adenoviruses, astroviruses, and human caliciviruses, including both Norwalk-like viruses (NLVs) and Sapporo-like viruses (SLVs), using PCR and reverse transcription (RT)-PCR assays. A virus was identified in 60% (502/832) of all episodes and in 85% of the moderately severe or severe episodes. Human caliciviruses were as common as rotaviruses, both being detected in 29% of the cases. NLVs accounted for a 20% etiologic share of all cases; the clinical picture was a moderately severe disease with vomiting as a predominant symptom. SLVs were detected in 9% of the cases, the clinical picture being a mild diarrheal disease. Astroviruses were found in 10% and enteric adenoviruses in 6% of the cases. Diagnosis with PCR and RT-PCR methods increases the detection of all gastroenteritis viruses, particularly human caliciviruses. As a group, human caliciviruses are common causative agents of gastroenteritis in children <2 years of age in Finland, and, of these, NLVs cause more severe disease than SLVs.
Pang
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XL
Department of Virology and Pediatrics, University of Tampere Medical School, Tampere, Finland. llxipa@uta.fi.
Honma
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Nakata
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Vesikari
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D000208:Acute Disease; D002139:Caliciviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007223:Infant; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000302:isolation & purification