A non-enteric adenovirus A12 gastroenteritis outbreak in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

A gastroenteritis outbreak that occurred in 2013 in a low-income community in Rio de Janeiro was investigated for the presence of enteric viruses, including species A rotavirus (RVA), norovirus (NoV), astrovirus (HAstV), bocavirus (HBoV), aichivirus (AiV), and adenovirus (HAdV). Five of nine stool samples (83%) from patients were positive for HAdV, and no other enteric viruses were detected. Polymerase chain reaction products were sequenced and subjected to phylogenetic analysis, which revealed four strains and one strain of non-enteric HAdV-A12 and HAdV-F41, respectively. The HAdV-A12 nucleotide sequences shared 100% nucleotide similarity. Viral load was assessed using a TaqMan real-time PCR assay. Stool samples that were positive for HAdV-A12 had high viral loads (mean 1.9 X 107 DNA copies/g stool). All four patients with HAdV-A12 were < 25 months of age and had symptoms of fever and diarrhoea. Evaluation of enteric virus outbreaks allows the characterisation of novel or unique diarrhoea-associated viruses in regions where RVA vaccination is routinely performed.

Estudo retrospectivo dos astrovirus humanos associados a casos de gastrenterite aguda em crianças residentes em tres regioes do Brasil: nordeste, sudeste e sul no período de 1994 a 2011 / Retrospective study of human astrovirus associated with cases of acute gastroenteritis in children living in three regions of Brazil: northeast, southeast and south in the period 1994-2011

Os astrovírus humanos (HAstVs) pertencem a família Astroviridae e são associados agastrenterite aguda (GA) em crianças menores de cinco anos, tanto nos paísesdesenvolvidos como naqueles em desenvolvimento, o que os tornam de interesse nocampo da Saúde Pública. A família Astroviridae é dividida em dois gêneros:Avastrovirus e Mamastrovirus. No gênero Mamastrovirus, encontram-se os astrovirusassociados à infecção em mamíferos, tanto humanos como animais. Até 2008, osastrovirus associados a doenças em humanos eram restritos a oito genótipos,conhecidos como HAstV 1-8. A partir de então novos HAstVs foram sendo descritos,associados a doenças em humanos, como os HAstVs MLB1-3 e os HAstVs VA1-4.Opresente estudo consiste no estudo epidemiológicos retrospectivos (1994 a 2011) paradetecção e caracterização molecular de HAstV em amostras de fezes provenientes decrianças com menos de cinco anos de idade com GA, em diferentes regiões do Brasil:Nordeste, Sudeste e Sul. Incluem-se neste trabalho três estudos: 1) Estudo dosHAstV em casos esporádicos de GA ocorridos em crianças menores de cinco anos deidade, em três regiões brasileiras (Nordeste, Sudeste e Sul), durante o período de2005 a 2011, incluindo a pesquisa dos novos HAstV; 2) Estudo dos HAstV em criançascom GA, atendidas na creche Bertha Lutz, FIOCRUZ-RJ, durante o período de janeirode 1994 a dezembro de 2008; 3)...

Human astrovirus (HAstVs), belong to Astroviridae family, and are associatedwith acute gastroenteritis (GA) in children under five years-old, both indeveloped and in developing countries, which makes them of interest in thePublic Health field. The Astroviridae family is divided into two genera:Avastrovirus and Mamastrovirus. Mamastrovirus are the astrovirusesassociated to infection in mammals, both humans and animals. By 2008, theastrovirus associated with human disease were restricted to eight genotypes,known as HAstV 1-8. Since then, new HAstVs have been described, associatedwith human disease, such as HAstVs MLB1-3 and HAstVs VA1-4. The presentstudy is the retrospective epidemiological study (1994 to 2011) for the detectionand molecular characterization of HAstV in stool samples from children underfive years old presenting GA, in different regions of Brazil: Northeast, Southeastand South. Three studies are presented: 1) Study of HAstV in sporadic cases ofGA occurred in children under five years old in three Brazilian regions(Northeast, Southeast and South) from 2005 to 2011, including the descriptionof a new HAstV; 2) Study of HAstV in children with GA, attending the day careBertha Lutz, FIOCRUZ-RJ from January 1994 to December 2008 and 3) Studyof HAstV in children under two years old presenting GA and hospitalized inNiteroi, Rio de Janeiro from April to September 2003. The detection of HAstVwas performed using different protocols for detection and molecularcharacterization such as: Reverse–transcriptase polymerase chain reaction,(RT- PCR), Single step RT -PCR (OneStep RT-PCR) and RealTime RT- PCR.The HAstV detected were characterized by partial sequencing of ORF2 regionof the viral genome. The study 1 demonstrated the HAstV detection frequencyin 7.1 % of samples, and described the first ASTV MLB1 in Brazil. Themolecular characterization identified the circulation genotypes HAstV -1, 2, 3, 4,5, 6 and 8...

Genotyping of gastroenteric viruses in hospitalised children: first report of norovirus GII.21 in Brazil

This retrospective study (April-September 2003) was designed to investigate the roles of the main viruses responsible for cases of acute infantile gastroenteritis in hospitalised children up to two years of age. The viruses were identified in 64.7% (88/136) of the cases and the detection rates of rotavirus A (RVA), norovirus (NoV) and astrovirus were 41.9% (57/136), 30.3% (24/79) and 12.7% (7/55), respectively. RVA and NoV were detected in 20 of the 24 reported nosocomial infection cases. This study identified the first circulation of the genotype NoV GII.21 in Brazil and highlights the need to establish differential diagnoses through active laboratorial surveillance.

Genetic diversity of noroviruses in Brazil

Norovirus (NoV) infections are a major cause of acute gastroenteritis outbreaks around the world. In Brazil, the surveillance system for acute diarrhoea does not include the diagnosis of NoV, precluding the ability to assess its impact on public health. The present study assessed the circulation of NoV genotypes in different Brazilian states by partial nucleotide sequencing analysis of the genomic region coding for the major capsid viral protein. NoV genogroup II genotype 4 (GII.4) was the prevalent (78 percent) followed by GII.6, GII.7, GII.12, GII.16 and GII.17, demonstrating the great diversity of NoV genotypes circulating in Brazil. Thus, this paper highlights the importance of a virological surveillance system to detect and characterize emerging strains of NoV and their spreading potential.