[Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of rotavirus infection in children of Cumaná, Venezuela]. / Características clínicas y epidemiológicas de la infección por rotavirus en niños de Cumaná, Venezuela.

The detection rate of group A human rotavirus (HRV-A), as well as its association with clinical and epidemiological parameters, was studied in children younger than 5 years old with acute diarrhea attending to the University Hospital "Antonio Patricio de Alcalá" of Cumaná, between march 2006 and september 2007. Of 241 fecal samples collected in this study, 47 (19.5%) were positive to HRV-A by immunoassay. Rotavirus were present throughout the study and the major detection rates were on march, april and may of 2006 (rates were 30,0%, 28,6% y 43,8%, respectively) and september of 2007 (37,5%). Thirty four percent of cases with HRV-A occurred in children of 7 - 12 months and males were the most affected (55.3%), as well as the worker and marginal socioeconomic classes (72,4%). Children that not received maternal feeding were the group mainly infected by HRV-A (61.7%). Most of the children (72.4%) had one to four evacuations/day, with few vomits (38.2%) and fever (10.6%). Almost all the feces (83.0%) had a liquid or semi-liquid aspect. When these results were compared with previous data of the same geographic area, we observed a two-fold decrease of the detection rate of HRV-A and the clinical symptoms were the same as reported by other authors. Of 32 children vaccinated against rotavirus, 30 (93.8%) did not have HVR-A in their feces and there was a significant association between the vaccinated children and protection.

[Molecular detection of shiga toxin-producing (stx1) Escherichia coli and rotavirus in stools of children with diarrhea]. / Detección molecular de Escherichia coli productor de shiga toxina (Stx1) y rotavirus en heces de niños con diarrea.

The presence of E. coli producer of shiga toxin and rotavirus was investigated in 90 stool samples from children less than 3 years old with diarrhea. Three aliquots were separated from each sample: the first one underwent previous enrichment for E. coli O157, the second one was plated on agar MacConkey-Sorbitol and Red Eosine with MUG, and the last one was frozen at -70 degrees C for the later analysis of rotavirus. The search of the antigen O157 of E. coli was carried out by immunochromatography in vitro of Coris Bioconcept (Belgium). The presence of the antigen O157 (rbf O157) and the genes that code for the shiga toxin (stx1 and stx2) were determined by PCR. Rotavirus were detected by electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gels. The 90 samples analyzed by immunochromatography were negative for the antigen O157. The isolates were STEC strains non O157 and contained the gene sx1, showing a 10% of positivity. The electrophoresis for the viral RNA detected rotavirus in 21 (23.33%) samples. This result confirms the rotavirus prevalence and suggests, that the circulation of STEC strains non O157 is an indication of the involvement of these strains in the ethiology of acute diarrheas.

Detección molecular de Escherichia coli productor de shiga toxina (Stx1) y rotavirus en heces de niños con diarrea / Molecular detection of shiga toxin-producing (stx1) Escherichia coli and rotavirus in stoolos of children with diarrhea

Se investigó la presencia de E. coli productora de shiga toxina y rotavirus en heces de 90 niños diarreicos con edades comprendidas entre 0 y 3 años. De cada muestra se tomaron tres alícuotas: una se sometió a enriquecimiento previo para E. coli O157, con otra se hizo siembra directa en placas con agar MacConkey-Sorbitol y Rojo Eosina con MUG y la ultima se congeló a –70°C para el análisis posterior de rotavirus. La búsqueda de E. coli O157 se realizó por inmunocromatografía in vitro de Coris Bioconcept (Bélgica) y O157:H7 por serología con antisueros FUVESIN. La presencia del antígeno O157 (rbfO157) y de los genes que codifican para las shiga toxinas (stx1 y stx2) se determinó por PCR. Los rotavirus se detectaron por electroforesis en geles de poliacrilamida. Las 90 muestras de heces analizadas resultaron negativas para el antígeno O157 y para O157:H7. La PCR corroboró que 9 cepas sospechosas aisladas de los medios de cultivos, eran cepas STEC no O157 y portadoras del gen stx1, mostrando un 10% de positividad. La electroforesis para el ARN viral detectó rotavirus en 21 (23,33%) muestras. Se confirma el predominio de rotavirus y se sugiere que la circulación de cepas STEC no 0157, es un indicio de la participación de estas cepas en la etiología de las diarreas agudas.