ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Gastroenteritis caused by rotavirus is responsible for approximately 810 deaths per year in children under 5 years of age in Peru and emerging rotavirus genotypes have led to concerns regarding cross-protection by the vaccines available. Moreover, there are no reports on the molecular epidemiology of rotavirus diarrhoea in Peru. METHODS: A total of 131 stool samples were obtained from children under 5 years hospitalised from January 2010 to December 2012 in the Hospital Regional de Cajamarca (Peru). ELISA and RT-PCR techniques were performed for rotavirus detection. G and P typing of rotavirus-positive samples were performed by semi-nested multiplex RT-PCR, and sequencing was performed to confirm the PCR results. RESULTS: Of the 117 samples available, 22 (18.8%) tested positive for rotavirus by ELISA and 42 (35.9%) tested positive by RT-PCR. Among the G genotypes identified, G9 (35.7%; 15/42) and G12 (33.3%; 14/42) were the most prevalent, with the most common combination being G12/P[6] (23.8%; 10/42). CONCLUSIONS: A high prevalence of the G12/P[6] genotype was detected. It is known that this genotype is not covered by the current vaccines available. More in-depth studies are needed to determine the current rotavirus genotypes presents in Peru.
Subject(s)
Diarrhea/virology , Gastroenteritis/virology , Rotavirus Infections/virology , Rotavirus/genetics , Acute Disease/epidemiology , Child, Preschool , Cohort Studies , Diarrhea/epidemiology , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Epidemiological Monitoring , Female , Gastroenteritis/epidemiology , Genetic Variation , Genotype , Hospitalization , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Male , Peru/epidemiology , Prevalence , RNA, Viral/genetics , Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction , Rotavirus/isolation & purification , Rotavirus/pathogenicity , Rotavirus Infections/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Bartonella bacilliformis is the etiologic agent of Carrion's disease. This disease has two well established phases, the most relevant being the so called Oroya Fever, in which B. bacilliformis infect the erythrocytes resulting in severe anemia and transient immunosuppression, with a high lethality in the absence of adequate antibiotic treatment. The presence of B. bacilliformis was studied in 113 blood samples suspected of Carrion's disease based on clinical criteria, despite the absence of a positive thin blood smear, by two different PCR techniques (using Bartonella-specific and universal 16S rRNA gene primers), and by bacterial culture. The specific 16S rRNA gene primers revealed the presence of 21 B. bacilliformis and 1 Bartonella elizabethae, while universal primers showed both the presence of 3 coinfections in which a concomitant pathogen was detected plus Bartonella, in addition to the presence of infections by other microorganisms such as Agrobacterium or Bacillus firmus. These data support the need to implement molecular tools to diagnose Carrion's disease.
