title: Rare types of rotaviruses isolated from children with acute gastroenteritis in Patras, Greece.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acute diarrhea remains a major public health issue worldwide, with gastroenteritis agents associated with a high morbidity, especially in infants and young children. A 1-year study (2009-2010) of rotavirus (RV)-caused pediatric diarrhea was performed on hospitalized children admitted with symptoms of acute diarrhea to the University Hospital of Patras, Greece.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-nine fecal samples were investigated for RVs, adenoviruses (AdVs), and enteroviruses (EVs) in an attempt to characterize these enteric viruses, which have been implicated in hospitalized diarrhea.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A 44.8% (13/29) incidence of viral infection was reported for the viral targets. Monoinfections accounted for 31% (9/29), while bi-infections accounted for 13.4% (4/29). Sequencing of positive samples allowed identification of RVs G4P[8] (2/29), G9P[8] (1/29), and interestingly of the rare type G12P[8] (2/29). AdV types 1, 2, and 6 were also identified in 4/29, 1/29, and 1/29 of the samples, respectively. Regarding the EVs, EV71 (2/29), coxsackievirus A4 (1/29), echovirus 11 (1/29), and EV96 (1/29) were typed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the present study, and specifically the detection of rare RV G12 and EV71 strains, address the need for continuous epidemiological surveys to provide epidemiological pictures of pediatric viral infections circulating in the community.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Microbiology Unit, Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, University of Patras, Patras, Greece.
authors.forename: Petros A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Kokkinos
authors.forename: Panos G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Ziros
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Monini
authors.forename: Petroula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lampropoulou
authors.forename: Anthoula
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karampini
authors.forename: Eleni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Papachatzi
authors.forename: Stefanos
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mantagos
authors.forename: Franco M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Ruggeri
authors.forename: Apostolos
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vantarakis
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004770:Enterovirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D005838:Genotype; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral