A confirmation of sapovirus re-infection gastroenteritis cases with different genogroups and genetic shifts in the evolving sapovirus genotypes, 2002-2011.

Sapovirus (SaV) is an important pathogen that causes acute gastroenteritis in humans. Human SaV is highly diverse genetically and is classified into multiple genogroups and genotypes. At present, there is no clear evidence for gastroenteritis cases caused by re-infection with SaV. We found that two individuals were sequentially infected with SaVs of two different genogroups and had gastroenteritis after each infection, although in one of the subsequent cases, both SaV and norovirus were detected. We also found a genetic shift in SaVs from gastroenteritis outpatients in the same geographical location. Our results suggest that protective immunity may be at least genogroup-specific for SaV.

[Antibiotic therapy against acute tonsillopharyngitis in children due to group A beta-hemolytic streptococci: comparison of clinical efficacy, the bactericidal effects, and effects on oral flora between cefditoren pivoxil for 5 days and amoxicillin for 10 days].

We compared the clinical efficacy, the bactericidal effects, effect on the oral microbial flora, and adverse reactions between cefditoren pivoxil (CDTR-PI) for 5 days and amoxicillin (AMPC) for 10 days in children with acute group A beta-hemolytic streptococci (GAS) tonsillopharyngitis, and simultaneously examined the emm genotype and drug susceptibility of the isolated GAS. The results showed that the clinical efficacy was 100% for CDTR-PI and 97.9% for AMPC, with no difference between the two groups, and the bacterial elimination rate was 100% in both groups. No serious adverse event was noted in either group. On the other hand, concerning changes in the oral microbial flora between before and after treatment, the amount of bacteria showed no change in the CDTR-PI group (p = 0.5761) but clearly decreased in the AMPC group (p = 0.0049). This indicates that CDTR-PI does not disturb the oral microbial flora compared with AMPC. Also, the emm types determined in the 112 GAS strains isolated in this study were similar to those that have recently been isolated frequently in Japan. Concerning the drug resistance, none of the isolates showed resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics, but 45% of them were resistant to macrolides. The advantages of short-term treatment are considered to include a lower cost, improvement in drug compliance, decrease in the frequency of the occurrence of adverse reactions, decrease in the frequency of the appearance of drug-resistant strains, and alleviation of the psychological burden of patients and their parents. For these reasons, we conclude that CDTR-PI for 5 days is a useful option for the treatment of acute GAS tonsillopharyngitis in children.

Surveillance of pathogens in outpatients with gastroenteritis and characterization of sapovirus strains between 2002 and 2007 in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan.

Infectious acute gastroenteritis is an important public health problem worldwide. A total of 639 stool specimens were tested for the presence of diarrhea pathogens. The specimens were from outpatients with acute gastroenteritis who consulted the pediatric clinic in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, from June 2002 to December 2007. Of these, 421 (65.9%) were positive for diarrhea pathogens. Among them were norovirus (NoV) in 260 (61.8%), sapovirus (SaV) in 81 (19.2%), rotavirus in 49 (11.6%), adenovirus in 19 (4.5%), enterovirus in 13 (3.1%), astrovirus in 9 (2.1%), kobuvirus in 1 (0.2%), and bacterial pathogens in 11 (2.6%). Mixed infection (co-infection of viruses) was found in 22 (5.2%) of the 421 pathogen-positive stool samples. NoV was the most prevalent pathogen throughout the study period; however, the SaV detection rate was unexpectedly high and was found to be the secondary pathogen from 2005 to 2007. Genetic analysis of SaV with 81 strains demonstrated that SaV strains belonging to genogroup IV emerged in 2007, and dynamic genogroup changes occurred in a restricted geographic area. This study showed that SaV infection is not as rare as thought previously.