High viral load detection of human Cosavirus in Iranian pediatric patients with acute gastroenteritis.

AIM: The present study implemented an RT-qPCR assay for the detection and quantification of human cosavirus in stool specimens from pediatric patients involved in acute gastroenteritis. BACKGROUND: Human cosavirus is a newly recognized virus that seems to be partly related to acute gastroenteritis in pediatric patients. However, the relationship between human cosavirus and diseases in humans is unclear. METHODS: From January 2018 to December 2019, a total of 160 stool samples were collected from pediatric patients presenting with acute gastroenteritis in a hospital in Karaj, Iran. After viral RNA extraction, RT-qPCR was performed to amplify the 5'UTR region of the human cosavirus genome and viral load was analyzed. RESULTS: The human cosavirus genomic RNA was detected in 4/160 (2.5%) stool samples tested. The maximum viral load was determined to be 4.6×106 copies/ml in one sample obtained from a 4-year-old patient. CONCLUSION: The human cosavirus as a new member of the Picornaviridae family was illustrated in fecal samples from pediatric patients with acute gastroenteritis in Iran. This is the first documentation of human cosavirus circulation in Iranian children.