Viral gastroenteritis in hospitalized patients: Evaluation of immunochromatographic methods for rapid detection in stool samples

• Published in: Journal of clinical virology Vol. 128; p. 104420
• Main Authors: González-Serrano, Lydia, Muñoz-Algarra, María, González-Sanz, Rubén, Portero-Azorín, María Francisca, Amaro, María José, Higueras, Purificación, Cabrerizo, María
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01-07-2020
• Subjects: Adenovirus; Immunochromatographic test; Norovirus; PCR; Rotavirus; Norovirus; Rotavirus; Adenovirus; PCR; Immunochromatographic test
• ISSN: 1386-6532; 1873-5967
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jcv.2020.104420

•Evaluated ICG methods for NoV, RV and HAdV showed good sensitivity and specificity.•RV vaccinated children can suffer a RV-A infection with G9/G12 genotypes.•Genotyping is essential for surveillance of viral gastroenteritis infections.
. Viral infections are recognized as the most common cause of acute gastroenteritis (AGE). Virus detection by immune analytical methods is recommended for diagnosis because of its simplicity and low cost.
. Two commercial immunochromatographic (ICG) techniques (Materlab) for rapid detection of rotavirus/adenovirus and norovirus respectively, were evaluated by comparison to the results obtained using PCR methods. In addition, clinical and epidemiologic characteristics of AGE infections have been described.
. A total of 100 faecal samples collected from patients with AGE (84% children) admitted into a Spanish Hospital between February and July 2018, were studied for rotavirus-A, adenovirus and norovirus GI/GII by the ICG tests as well as by PCR and sequencing. Other enteric viruses (enterovirus and astrovirus) were investigated by PCR methods. Gastrointestinal bacteria and parasites were also tested.
. Evaluated ICG tests yielded high specificity (>97%). Sensitivity values were high for rotavirus/adenovirus (>80%) but lower for norovirus (57%). Overall, and taking into account coinfections, viruses (32%), bacteria (14%) and parasites (1%) could be detected. Rotavirus-A were the most frequently identified viruses (16%), followed by enterovirus (12%), norovirus (4%), adenovirus 41 (4%) and astrovirus (1%). In five vaccinated children, a rotavirus was detected.
. ICG technique is a useful tool for the routine diagnosis of AGE infections at hospital, but for surveillance and epidemiological studies, it is needed the use of amplification and sequencing methods, which also allow monitoring of new strains or variants emergence. In this study, an etiological pathogen was determined only in 44% of samples.