title: Human astrovirus, norovirus (GI, GII), and sapovirus infections in Pakistani children with diarrhea.
abstract: Fecal specimens from 517 infants and young children admitted to the Civil Karachi Hospital, Dow Medical College, Karachi city, Pakistan with acute gastroenteritis from 1990 to 1994 were collected and screened by RT-PCR for human astrovirus (AstV), norovirus (NV), and sapovirus (SV). The specific epidemiological data for illness caused by these viruses in Pakistan are not available. AstV, NV, and SV were detected in 58, 51, and 17 of 517 fecal specimens, and this represented 11.2, 9.9, and 3.2%, respectively. An outbreak of gastroenteritis attributable to AstV serotype 1 was identified during September and October 1990. Moreover, one specimen with a triple mixed infection between AstV (serotypes 1 and 3) and NV GII was found. NV and SV were subjected to molecular analysis by sequencing. One of the sequenced specimens positive for SV turned out to be similar to a strain tentatively called a genogroup IV. The result underscores the importance of these viruses in association with acute gastroenteritis in Karachi city, Pakistan.
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental Medical Sciences, Institute of International Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Tung Gia
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Phan
authors.forename: Michio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okame
authors.forename: Tuan Anh
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Niwat
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maneekarn
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Nishio
authors.forename: Shoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Okitsu
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ushijima
mesh_terms: D019350:Astroviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D017250:Caliciviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D001257:Mamastrovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D029322:Norovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D029341:Sapovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017385:Sequence Homology; D012703:Serotyping
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral