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Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biological Agents, Faculty of Pharmacy, TU-5000 Monastir, Tunisia,1 National Reference Center for Enteric Viruses, Laboratory of Virology, University Hospital of Dijon, F-21000 Dijon, France,2 Pediatric Department, University Hospital Fattouma Bourguiba, TU-5000 Monastir, Tunisia,3 Laboratory of Immunology, University Hospital Fattouma Bourguiba, TU-5000 Monastir, Tunisia4
Received 18 December 2007/ Returned for modification 16 January 2008/ Accepted 14 February 2008
This prospective study, conducted from January 2003 to June 2005, investigated the incidence and the clinical role of various enteric viruses responsible for infantile gastroenteritis in 632 Tunisian children presenting in dispensaries (380 children) or hospitalized (252 children) for acute diarrhea. At least one enteric virus was found in each of 276 samples (43.7%). A single pathogen was observed in 234 samples, and mixed infections were found in 42 samples. In terms of frequency, rotavirus and norovirus were detected in 22.5 and 17.4% of the samples, respectively, followed by astrovirus (4.1%), Aichi virus (3.5%), adenovirus types 40 and 41 (2.7%), and sapovirus (1.0%). The seasonal distribution of viral gastroenteritis showed a winter peak but also an unusual peak from May to September. The severity of the diarrhea was evaluated for hospitalized infants. No significant differences were observed between rotavirus and norovirus infections with regard to the incidence and the clinical severity of the disease, especially in dehydration.
Published ahead of print on 20 February 2008.
| Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. | Clin. Microbiol. Rev. |
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| Clin. Vaccine Immunol. | ALL ASM JOURNALS |
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