This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Moe, C L Articles by Kim, K H Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Moe, C L Articles by Kim, K H

Detection of astrovirus in pediatric stool samples by immunoassay and RNA probe.

Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia 30333.

ABSTRACT

Two new astrovirus assays, a rapid biotin-avidin enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and RNA probe hybridization, were developed and compared with an established astrovirus assay, an indirect EIA, and immune electron microscopy. Sensitivity and specificity were evaluated by using a screening panel of 22 astrovirus-positive and 305 astrovirus-negative fecal specimens. The biotin-avidin assay was equivalent in performance to the reference indirect assay, and both could detect about 10 ng of viral protein. Although the probe was more sensitive than either EIA and could detect higher dilutions of virus in tissue culture and stool specimens, it did not detect more astrovirus-positive fecal specimens. Of the 22 astrovirus-positive specimens detected by the EIAs, 20 were confirmed by immune electron microscopy with hyperimmune rabbit antiserum. To determine the usefulness of EIAs for large epidemiologic studies, EIAs were used to screen 1,289 stool specimens from three studies of children with and without diarrhea. Astrovirus was detected in 3.5% of specimens from children with diarrhea and 1.9% of specimens from those without diarrhea. Our results indicate that the biotin-avidin EIA is an efficient, sensitive, and specific method for routinely screening large numbers of fecal samples and that its application in epidemiologic studies may yield higher rates of astrovirus infection than have been found previously by other methods.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Gaggero, A., O'Ryan, M., Noel, J. S., Glass, R. I., Monroe, S. S., Mamani, N., Prado, V., Avendaño, L. F. (1998). Prevalence of Astrovirus Infection among Chilean Children with Acute Gastroenteritis. J. Clin. Microbiol. 36: 3691-3693 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Grohmann, G. S., Glass, R. I., Pereira, H. G., Monroe, S. S., Hightower, A. W., Weber, R., Bryan, R. T., The Enteric Opportunistic Infections Working Group, (1993). Enteric Viruses and Diarrhea in HIV-Infected Patients. NEJM 329: 14-20 [Abstract] [Full Text]