Detection and genotyping of astroviruses from children with acute gastroenteritis from Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.
BACKGROUND
The astroviruses constitute important agents of childhood diarrhea. The purpose of our research was to detect and genotype astroviruses in fecal samples from children with acute gastroenteritis from Goiânia- Goiás, Brazil.


METHODS
The samples were collected from children up to five years of age with acute gastroenteritis, hospitalized in two public hospitals in Goiânia- Goiás, a city located in the West Central region of Brazil. A total of 516 fecal samples were collected from March 1998 to March 2000. These samples were first screened for rotavirus and adenovirus by an enzyme immunoassay (EIARA) and by PAGE for the detection of rotaviruses. In all samples negative for both viruses (n=351) the presence of astrovirus was investigated by reverse-transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).


RESULTS
2.8% of the samples obtained from children up to two years of age were positive for astrovirus by RT-PCR, with an expected amplicon size of 449 bp. All positive samples, except one, were collected between October and December of 1998, which corresponds to the rainy season in the region (spring/early summer). Nested-PCR genotyping showed that all samples were genotyped and belonged to astrovirus genotype 1, presenting an amplicon band pattern of 212 bp.


CONCLUSIONS
This study supports data from the literature about the occurrence of astrovirus in children with acute gastroenteritis. It also helps provide a better understanding of viral etiology in diarrhea.
das Dôres de Paula Cardoso
Divina
D
Laboratório de Virologia/Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia-GO, Brazil. divina@netgo.com.br
Fiaccadori
Fabíola Souza
FS
Borges de Lima Dias e Souza
Menira
M
Bringel Martins
Regina Maria
RM
Gagliardi Leite
José Paulo
JP
D000367:Age Factors; D001938:Brazil; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000821:virology*; D005814:Genes, Viral; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D001257:Mamastrovirus / Q000235:genetics*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction