title: Incidence and prevalence of human group C rotavirus infections in Argentina.
abstract: The incidence of human group C rotavirus infections among children and adults in Buenos Aires was evaluated by enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) based on recombinant group C VP6 protein (Cowden strain). A total of 976 stool samples taken from patients (ages 6 months to 15 years) with acute diarrhea were tested for the presence of group C rotavirus. Among these, only 10 (1.02%) were group C rotavirus positive by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) confirmed by absorption with group C VP6 antibodies and by RT-PCR for both VP6 and VP7 genes. The average age (5.86 years) was significantly superior to that in group A-infected patients (1.63 years). Previous exposure to this virus was assessed by detecting specific IgG in sera taken from healthy individuals grouped by age. Of 844 sera tested, 425 (50.3%) were group C IgG positive by ELISA, confirmed by Western blot analysis. The rates of IgG positivity for group A and C rotaviruses during the first years of life indicated that infections with group C are frequent in older children (3-5 years), whereas group A infections are prevalent in infants and young children (6-18 months). This study shows that group C rotavirus infections in Argentine children occur later in life than group A and are relatively common in spite of the low detection rate of this virus.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Virología, Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Alejandro A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Castello
authors.forename: Marcelo H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Argüelles
authors.forename: Guillermo A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Villegas
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Olthoff
authors.forename: Graciela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Glikmann
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000379:methods; D002213:Capsid / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D036022:Capsid Proteins; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D015995:Prevalence; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D036022:Capsid Proteins; C061332:VP6 protein, Rotavirus; C050779:VP7 protein, Rotavirus