Aetiology of acute paediatric gastroenteritis in Bulgaria during summer months: prevalence of viral infections.

Paediatric acute gastroenteritis is a global public health problem. Comprehensive laboratory investigation for viral, bacterial and parasitic agents is helpful for improving management of acute gastroenteritis in health care settings and for monitoring and controlling the spread of these infections. Our study aimed to investigate the role of various pathogens in infantile diarrhoea in Bulgaria outside the classical winter epidemics of rotavirus and norovirus. Stool samples from 115 hospitalized children aged 0-3 years collected during summer months were tested for presence of 14 infectious agents - group A rotavirus, astrovirus, Giardia, Cryptosporidium and Entamoeba using ELISAs; norovirus by real-time RT-PCR; picobirnavirus and sapovirus by RT-PCR; adenovirus using PCR, and Salmonella, Shigella, Escherichia coli, Yersinia and Campylobacter using standard bacterial cultures. Infectious origin was established in a total of 92 cases and 23 samples remained negative. A single pathogen was found in 67 stools, of which rotaviruses were the most prevalent (56.7 %), followed by noroviruses (19.4 %), enteric adenoviruses (7.5 %), astroviruses (6.0 %), bacteria and parasites (4.5 % each) and sapoviruses (1.4 %). Rotavirus predominant genotypes were G4P[8] (46.3 %) and G2P[4] (21.4 %); for astroviruses, type 1a was the most common, while the GII.4/2006b variant was the most prevalent among noroviruses. Bacteria were observed in five cases, with Salmonella sp. as the most prevalent, while parasites were found in ten stool samples, with Giardia intestinalis in five cases. The results demonstrated high morbidity associated with viral infections and that rotavirus and norovirus remain the most common pathogens associated with severe gastroenteritis during summer months in Bulgaria, a country with a temperate climate, and significant molecular diversity among circulating virus strains.

Prevalence of pigeon circovirus infections in feral pigeons in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Pigeon circovirus (PiCV) was detected by real-time PCR in cloacal swabs, pharyngeal swabs, and serum samples taken from 74 feral pigeons (Columba livia var. domestica) that were caught at various locations in the city of Ljubljana, Slovenia. PiCV infections were detected in the majority of the tested birds. The highest (74.3%) detection rate was observed in the cloacal swabs and the lowest (31.1%) in serum samples. PiCV DNA was more readily detected in the cloacal swabs, pharyngeal swabs, and serum samples of birds younger than 1 yr. Molecular analysis of partial open reading frame V1 sequences showed that PiCV strains detected in feral pigeons share high nucleotide and amino acid sequence identities with PiCV strains detected in ornamental, racing, meat, and feral pigeons.

Molecular characterization of avian paramyxovirus type 1 (Newcastle disease) viruses isolated from pigeons between 2000 and 2008 in Slovenia.

Fourteen avian paramyxovirus type 1 (APMV-1; Newcastle disease) viruses isolated from dead free-living and domestic pigeons in Slovenia between 2000 and 2008 were analyzed by a molecular characterization of a part of the fusion protein gene, which included the region encoding the fusion protein cleavage site. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the Slovene pigeon paramyxovirus type 1 (PPMV-1) viruses do not cluster together but instead are divided into two groups--4bi and 4bii--of sublineage 4b. Nine Slovenian strains were placed in group 4bii. Five other strains clustered together with PPMV-1 from group 4bi. The sequence of the fusion protein cleavage site of all Slovenian strains was typical for pathogenic APMV-1. The 112RRQKRF117 motif was present in the strains from group 4bii, whereas strains from group 4bi displayed the 112GRQKRF117 motif.