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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, September 1998, p. 2481-2484, Vol. 36, No. 9
Department of Pediatrics,
Received 4 February 1998/Returned for modification 31 March
1998/Accepted 10 June 1998
Mexico virus (MXV) is a genogroup II human calicivirus (HuCV). We
conducted an epidemiological study to determine the prevalence of MXV
infection in infants and adults in Japan and Southeast Asia by
enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) developed by using
baculovirus-expressed recombinant MXV (rMXV) capsids. Of 155 stool
specimens obtained from children younger than 10 years old with acute
clinical gastroenteritis (diarrhea and vomiting) associated with small,
round-structured viruses in Japan from 1987 to 1989, only 2 were
positive for MXV antigen. In 42 outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis in
Japan from 1986 to 1994, 1 in an infant home and 1 among adults were
positive for MXV antigen. The pattern of acquisition of antibody to
rMXV was different from that of acquisition of antibody to group A
rotavirus, the prototype HuCV Sapporo virus, and Norwalk virus. The
prevalence of antibody to rMXV remained low for the first 3 years of
life, showed a steep rise during nursery school age, reaching a
prevalence of 50%, and another steep rise during adolescence, reaching
80%; and steadily increased thereafter. A high prevalence of antibody
(82 to 88%) was observed in adult populations in Japan and Southeast
Asia, suggesting that MXV infection is common in these areas. The
discrepancy between the high prevalence of antibody to MXV and a low
rate of detection of MXV antigen may be explained by a high specificity of the antigen ELISA for the prototype and closely related MXV strains
while serological responses can detect responses to a broader group of
viruses.
0095-1137/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Epidemiological Study of Prevalence of Genogroup II Human
Calicivirus (Mexico Virus) Infections in Japan and Southeast Asia
as Determined by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of
Pediatrics, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, S.1 W.16, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, 060, Japan. Phone: 81-11-611-2111. Fax:
81-11-611-0352. E-mail: shonma{at}sapmed.ac.jp.
Journal of Clinical Microbiology, September 1998, p. 2481-2484, Vol. 36, No. 9
0095-1137/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
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