A large infantile gastroenteritis outbreak in Albania caused by multiple emerging rotavirus genotypes

• Published in: Epidemiology and infection Vol. 131; no. 3; pp. 1105 - 1110
• Main Authors: VILLENA, C., GABRIELI, R., PINTÓ, R. M., GUIX, S., DONIA, D., BUONOMO, E., PALOMBI, L., CENKO, F., BINO, S., BOSCH, A., DIVIZIA, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01-12-2003
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Adenovirus; Adenoviruses; Adolescent; Albania - epidemiology; Astrovirus; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child, Preschool; Children; Developing countries; Disease Outbreaks; DNA, Viral - analysis; Enzymes; Epidemics; Feces - microbiology; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gastroenteritis; Gastroenteritis - epidemiology; Gastroenteritis - virology; Genotype; Genotypes; Humans; Hybridization; Infant; Infant, Newborn; LDCs; Male; Microbiology; Miscellaneous; Morbidity; Norovirus; Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques; Polymerase chain reaction; Potable water; Public health; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; Rotavirus; Rotavirus - genetics; Rotavirus - pathogenicity; Rotavirus Infections - epidemiology; Rotavirus Infections - genetics; Rural areas; Rural Population; Viral infections; Virology; Viruses; Water Supply; Europe; Albania; Rome Italy; Italy; Virus; Microbiology; Rotavirus; Gastroenteritis; Emerging disease; Digestive diseases; Intestinal disease; Genotype; Epidemiology; Reoviridae; Gastric disease
• ISSN: 0950-2688; 1469-4409
• DOI: 10.1017/S0950268803001353

By the end of December 2000, the epidemiological system ‘Alert’ of the Public Health Institute in Tirane reported an outbreak of acute gastroenteritis. The outbreak involved children in Tirane and in the rural area. In total, 2722 children were seen in Tirane Hospital and 982 (56·4%) were treated for acute gastroenteritis. The age group with the highest morbidity was 0–5 years (89·7%), followed by the 6–9 (6·2%) and 10–15 years age groups (4·1%). The distribution of acute gastroenteritis cases, which occurred along the same water distribution system, suggests a waterborne origin. The nucleic acid amplification confirmed the co-circulation of different genotypes of rotavirus, mainly P[8]G9 and P[8]G3, responsible for the outbreak. Other enteric viruses such as astrovirus serotype 1, adenovirus and Norovirus, genogroups I and II were detected. Co-infections with different rotavirus genotypes and even with different enteric viruses were detected in several samples.