title: Detection and characterization of Human caliciviruses associated with sporadic acute diarrhea in adults in Djibouti (horn of Africa).
abstract: Recent advances in molecular diagnostics have allowed us to recognize Human caliciviruses (HuCVs) as important agents of acute diarrhea in industrialized countries. Their prevalence and genetic diversity in developing countries remains unknown. We report on the characterization of HuCVs among adults presenting acute diarrheas in Djibouti; 108 stool samples collected were screened by EIA, RTPCR, or cell cultures for the group A Rotaviruses, Adenoviruses, Astroviruses, and HuCVs, which were further characterized by genotyping. Among stool samples screened for HuCVs, 25.3% were positive. The other enteric viruses were less prevalent. The 11 HuCV strains sequenced revealed a large diversity (3 sapoviruses and 8 noroviruses). GII strains noroviruses were predominant, five were newly described genotypes, and two were recombinant with a pol gene related to GGIIb strains with the particularity to associate a unique pol gene to different capsid genes. These results could help to the knowledge of HuCV infections in Tropical Africa.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Biologie Clinique, Groupement Médico Chirurgical Bouffard, République de Djibouti. maslin_j@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Jérôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Maslin
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nicand
authors.forename: Katia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ambert-Balay
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fouet
authors.forename: Jérôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kaplon
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Haus
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pothier
authors.forename: Evelyne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kohli
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002139:Caliciviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017250:Caliciviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000821:virology*; D015730:Djibouti / Q000453:epidemiology; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010802:Phylogeny