Distribution of rotavirus genotypes circulating in Ahvaz, Iran in 2016

Background: Group A rotavirus [RVA] mainly causes acute gastroenteritis, exclusively in young children in developing countries. The prevalence and determination of the molecular epidemiology of rotavirus genotypes will determine the dominant rotavirus genotypes in the region and will provide a strategy for the development of appropriate vaccines

Methods: A total of 100 fecal samples were collected from children below five years with acute gastroenteritis who referred to Aboozar Children's Hospital of Ahvaz city during October 2015 to March 2016. All samples were screened by latex agglutination for the presence of rotavirus antigen. Rotavirus-positive samples were further analyzed by the semi-multiplex RT-PCR, and the sequencing was performed for G/P genotyping

Results: Findings showed that 32% of the specimens were RVA-positive. Among the 32 VP7 genotyped strains, the predominant G genotype was G9 [37.5%], followed by G2 [21.9%], G1 [12.5%], G12 [9.4%], G4 [9.4%], G2G9 [6.3%], and G3 [3.1%]. Among the 31 VP4 genotyped strains, P[8] genotype was the dominant [62.5%], followed by P[4] [31.3%] and P[4] P[8] [3.1%]. The genotypes for G and P were identified for 31 rotaviruses [96.87%], but only one strain, G9, remained non-typeable for the P genotype. The most prevalent G/P combination was G9P[8] [28.5%], followed by G2P[4] [18.8%], G1P[8] [9.4%], G12P[8] [9.4%], G4P[8] [9.4%], G2G9P[4] [6.3%], G9P[4] P[8] [3.1%], G3P[8] [3.1%], G9P[4] [3.1%], G2P[8] [3.1%], and G9P[nontypeable] [3.1%]

Conclusion: A novel rotavirus strain, G12, was detected, for the first time, in patients from the southwest of Iran. Comprehensive investigations are required to evaluate the emergence of this strain

[Clinical correlation between findings of renal scintigraphy and clinical/laboratory findings in children with febrile UTI]

Urinary tract infection [UTI] is one of the most common bacterial infections in children. Non-specific symptomatology in infants and young children makes the clinical differentiation between lower UTI and acute pyelonephritis [APN] difficult. The aim of this study was to assess the correlation between APN findings of renal cortical scintigraphy and selected clinical/laboratory findings of febrile UTI in infants and children admitted at our center. A prospective study was conducted in 83 infants and young children aged I month -8 years hospitalized with febrile UTI in nephrology ward of Abuzar children's hospital. Within the first 5 days after admission, Tc-99m DMSA renal scintigraphy, ultrasonography [US], voiding cystoureterography [VCUG], erythrocyte sedimentation rate [ESR], C-reactive protein [CRP], hemoglobin [Hb], white blood cell count [WBC] and urine analyses were performed. Mean age was 24.3 months with 82% [68] girls. DMSA scintigraphy showed APN findings in 45/83[54.2%] patients, with a mean age of 30.2 months, including 9 males [20%] and 36 [80%] females. There were statistically significant correlations between the APN findings of DMSA scintigraphy and the fever duration, body temperature, lucocytosis, anemia, proteinurea, CRP levels and ESR [p<0.05]. Vesicoureteral reflux was found in 20.5% of patients with no statistically significant correlations to the APN findings of DMSA scintigraphy. Although initial DMSA renal scintigraphy is useful for determination and localization of kidney involvement during febrile UTI, some clinical and paraclinical findings can predict the scintigraphycal findings of kidney involvement that need further evaluations for portable complications in the future

Pediatric visceral leishmanisis in the southwest part of Iran: a study of 215 cases

To study the epidemiological, clinical characteristics and laboratory findings of visceral leishmaniasis [VL] in children. It is a retrospective study, hospital records of all children with diagnosis of VL were reviewed from 1991 through 2003. Hospitals affiliated to Ahvaz Jondi-Shapour University of Medical Sciences in the southwestern part of Iran. Two hundreds and fifteen patients [153 males and 62 females] were enrolled in the study. The mean age of the patients was 31 +/- 22 months. Fever and splenomegaly were present in >95% of the patients and hepatomegaly and lymphadenopathy in 76% and 3.7% of cases, respectively. Common laboratory findings were anemia, leukopenia and thrombocytopenia. All patients were treated with meglumine antimoniate.Relapse were observed in 4% of the patients and fatality rate was 5%. Visceral leishmaniasis is endemic in the southwestern part of Iran. The clinical profile of the disease is typical of the Mediterranean infantile form