The prevalence of enteric RNA viruses in stools from diarrheic and non-diarrheic people in southwestern Alberta, Canada.
Southwestern Alberta is a region of Canada that has high rates of enteritis as well as high densities of livestock. The presence of enteric RNA viruses, specifically norovirus (NoV) GI, GII, GIII, GIV; sapovirus (SaV); rotavirus (RV); and astrovirus (AstV), was evaluated in stools from diarrheic (n = 2281) and non-diarrheic (n = 173) people over a 1-year period in 2008 and 2009. Diarrheic individuals lived in rural (46.6 %) and urban (53.4 %) settings and ranged in age from less than 1 month to 102 years, and the highest prevalence of infection in these individuals was in November. In all, viruses were detected in diarrheic stools from 388 individuals (17.0 %). NoV GII was the most frequently detected virus (8.0 %; n = 182) followed by SaV (4.3 %; n = 97), RV (2.0 %; n = 46), AstV (1.8 %; n = 42), NoV GI (0.9 %; n = 20), and NoV GIV (0.1 %; n = 1). Animal NoV GIII was never detected. The prevalence of mixed viral infections in diarrheic individuals was 2.8 % (n = 11). Children from 1 to 5 years of age accounted for the highest prevalence of positive stools, followed by the elderly individuals (≥70 years). Only NoV GII (1.2 %; n = 2) and SaV (1.2 %; n = 2) were detected in stools from non-diarrheic people. Sequence analysis of a subset of stools revealed homology to NoV, SaV and RV sequences from humans but not to strains from non-human animals. The results of this study do not support the hypothesis that viruses of animal origin have a significant impact on the occurrence of acute gastroenteritis caused by RNA enteric viruses in people living in southwestern Alberta.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Food Research and Development Centre, 3600 Casavant Boulevard West, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, J2S 8E3, Canada. Danielle.Leblanc@agr.gc.ca.
Danielle
D
Leblanc
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, 5403 1st Avenue S, Lethbridge, AB, T1J 4B1, Canada.
G Douglas
GD
Inglis
Chinook Regional Hospital, 960 19 St S, Lethbridge, AB, T1J 1W5, Canada.
Valerie F
VF
Boras
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Food Research and Development Centre, 3600 Casavant Boulevard West, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, J2S 8E3, Canada.
Julie
J
Brassard
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Food Research and Development Centre, 3600 Casavant Boulevard West, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, J2S 8E3, Canada.
Alain
A
Houde
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000416:Alberta / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D060085:Coinfection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000821:virology*; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012327:RNA Virus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D012328:RNA Viruses / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012621:Seasons; D055815:Young Adult