[Prevalence of enterovirus infection in infants in Armenia, Colombia, 2009].
BACKGROUND
Despite world wide circulation of enteroviruses, little information has accumulated on the circulation of enteroviruses in Colombia.


OBJECTIVE
The prevalence of enterovirus circulation was examined in children under 1 year to identify the most common enterovirus serotypes.


METHODS
Fecal samples were collected from 320 children under 1 year of age who attended a first-level health center in the city of Armenia, Colombia, in 2009. Enterovirus detection was performed by reverse transcription reaction and nested polymerase chain reaction (RT-N-PCR) using generic enterovirus primers. Samples testing positive in the RT-N-PCR were inoculated into cell cultures susceptible to enterovirus. All isolates were typed by seroneutralization with Lim-Benyesh-Melnick antiserum pools.


RESULTS
Overall, enteroviral RNA was detected in 43 of 320 (13.3%; 95% CI: 9.7 to 17.1) fecal samples by RT-N-PCR. Viral isolation was possible in 26 of 43 (60.4%) of the positive samples. Of these, 15 were Coxsackievirus B (eight CVB1, two CVB2, five CVB5) and 11 Echovirus (six E6 and five E30).


CONCLUSIONS
The enteroviral circulation in a population on newly bornes up to 1 year old was 13.3%;the most frequent enterovirus was the same as those serotypes most commonly isolated in other parts of the world. The use of RT-N-PCR was demonstrably feasible as a tool to monitor the presence of enterovirus in stool samples.
Grupo de Inmunología Molecular, Facultad Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad del Quindío, Armenia, Colombia. mmgonzalez@uniquindio.edu.co
María Mercedes
MM
González
Alejandra María
AM
Giraldo
Liliana
L
Quintero
Leonardo
L
Padilla
Luis
L
Sarmiento
Jhon Carlos
JC
Castaño
D003105:Colombia / Q000453:epidemiology; D004769:Enterovirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies