Characterization of an astrovirus genotype 2 strain causing an extensive outbreak of gastroenteritis among Maxakali Indians, Southeast Brazil.
BACKGROUND
Human astroviruses (HAstVs) are a common cause of sporadic diarrhea in children but large outbreaks occur in children's day care centers, schools and in homes for the elderly.


OBJECTIVE
To report a large outbreak of acute gastroenteritis that occurred in January 2004 among Indians from the Maxakali Reserve in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil.


METHODS
Fecal samples from 46 Maxakali patients were collected and tested for a range of enteric pathogens. HAstVs was detected by EIA and strains were confirmed by RT-PCR and typed by direct sequencing. Clinical information was collected.


RESULTS
The illness which affected more than 100 children under 6 years of age was characterized by watery diarrhea, fever and vomiting. HAstV-2 was the sole enteropathogen detected in 26 (56%) of 46 samples analyzed by EIA and/or RT-PCR. The 17 positive samples sequenced were identical in a 348bp region used for phylogenetic analysis and were classified as genotype 2.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first description of an outbreak of HAstV-2 gastroenteritis in a population of Brazilian Indians. The magnitude of the outbreak and the severity of the disease underscore the need to better understand the epidemiology of astrovirus and other enteric agents in these populations.
Gabbay
Yvone Benchimol
YB
Seção de Virologia, Instituto Evandro Chagas, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Ministério da Saúde, Belém, Pará, Brazil. yvonegabbay@iec.pa.gov.br
Chamone
Chequer Buffe
CB
Nakamura
Liliany Satiko
LS
Oliveira
Darleise Souza
DS
Abreu
Simone Faria de
SF
Cavalcante-Pepino
Elielma Lira
EL
Mascarenhas
Joana D'Arc Pereira
JD
Leite
José Paulo Gagliardi
JP
Linhares
Alexandre Costa
AC
D019350:Astroviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000821:virology; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000821:virology; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American; D001257:Mamastrovirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D012367:RNA, Viral