rome and Diarrhea--Infantile

During the period May 1987-January 1989, faecal samples from 417 paediatric inpatients admitted to the main paediatric hospital in Rome were screened by direct electron microscopy and rotavirus enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Rotaviruses were detected in 18.2% of cases and adenoviruses in 7%, whereas astroviruses were found in 1% of cases. Different percentages of rotavirus excretors were revealed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and electron microscopy. This discrepancy seems to be due to false positive results introduced by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Analysis of electron microscopy-positive samples by rotaviral RNA polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed different electropherotypes of rotavirus among which a single, largely predominant long electropherotype (55.4%) was revealed. Short electropherotype subgroup I rotaviruses were demonstrated in about 10.7% of samples.

Topics: Adenovirus Infections, Human; Child, Preschool; Diarrhea; Diarrhea, Infantile; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Mamastrovirus; Microscopy, Electron; Picornaviridae Infections; RNA, Viral; Rome; Rotavirus Infections; Sensitivity and Specificity; Virus Diseases

Rotavirus infections were detected in 210 of 675 children with acute diarrhea admitted to a major pediatric hospital in Rome from January 1982 through December 1985. Most of the patients with rotavirus infections were admitted during the winter season in both 1982 and 1985, whereas during the two intermediate years, cases occurred in all months. Among 84 rotavirus samples examined, 14 different electropherotypes were recognized, 2 of which largely predominated over the others. The two electropherotypes were particularly frequent in the 2 epidemic years, altogether accounting for 70.2% of the samples typed, and circulated in distinct periods. None of the viruses showed a short pattern of electrophoretic migration of the genome, indicating a minor involvement of subgroup I rotaviruses in hospitalization-requiring diarrheas occurring in the area surveyed.

Topics: Acute Disease; Child, Preschool; Diarrhea, Infantile; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; Feces; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; RNA, Double-Stranded; RNA, Viral; Rome; Rotavirus; Rotavirus Infections; Seasons

Rotavirus infection was demonstrated in 168 (29.3%) of 573 children hospitalized for acute diarrhoea in Rome between January 1982 and December 1984. Laboratory diagnosis of these infections was made by transmission electron microscopy and enzyme immunoassay techniques with an overall agreement of 91.3%. Astroviruses, adenoviruses and small round viruses were detected in the faeces of 36 patients (6.4%). Whereas in 1982 rotavirus positive patients were clustered in the winter and following spring, in the following years cases were recorded all year round. The median age of patients with rotavirus infections was 17, 10 and 11.5 months in 1982, 1983 and 1984, respectively. In addition, a smaller number of rotavirus positive cases were admitted in 1983 when compared to those admitted during the previous as well as the subsequent years. It is suggested that a herd immunity was induced in the population by epidemic spread of rotavirus in the first half of 1982.

Topics: Adenovirus Infections, Human; Adenoviruses, Human; Age Factors; Child, Preschool; Diarrhea; Diarrhea, Infantile; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Feces; Humans; Infant; Mamastrovirus; Rome; Rotavirus; Rotavirus Infections; Seasons; Virus Diseases