title: Acute infantile gastroenteritis associated with human enteric viruses in Tunisia.
abstract: This prospective study, conducted from January 2003 to June 2005, investigated the incidence and the clinical role of various enteric viruses responsible for infantile gastroenteritis in 632 Tunisian children presenting in dispensaries (380 children) or hospitalized (252 children) for acute diarrhea. At least one enteric virus was found in each of 276 samples (43.7%). A single pathogen was observed in 234 samples, and mixed infections were found in 42 samples. In terms of frequency, rotavirus and norovirus were detected in 22.5 and 17.4% of the samples, respectively, followed by astrovirus (4.1%), Aichi virus (3.5%), adenovirus types 40 and 41 (2.7%), and sapovirus (1.0%). The seasonal distribution of viral gastroenteritis showed a winter peak but also an unusual peak from May to September. The severity of the diarrhea was evaluated for hospitalized infants. No significant differences were observed between rotavirus and norovirus infections with regard to the incidence and the clinical severity of the disease, especially in dehydration.
authors.affiliation: Centre National de Référence des virus entériques, Laboratoire de Virologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Dijon, 2 boulevard Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny, BP 77908, F-21079 Dijon Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Khira
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sdiri-Loulizi
authors.forename: Hakima
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gharbi-Khélifi
authors.forename: Alexis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: de Rougemont
authors.forename: Slaheddine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chouchane
authors.forename: Nabil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sakly
authors.forename: Katia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ambert-Balay
authors.forename: Mouna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hassine
authors.forename: Mohamed Neji
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Guédiche
authors.forename: Mahjoub
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aouni
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pothier
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D017250:Caliciviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003968:Diarrhea, Infantile / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D029322:Norovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D014416:Tunisia / Q000453:epidemiology; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology