HUMAN TOROVIRUS - A NEW NOSOCOMIAL GASTROINTESTINAL PATHOGEN

Studies were undertaken to determine if human torovirus is associated with gastroenteritis and to examine the clinical features of torovirus illness in children. The fecal excretion of torovirus in patients wit h gastroenteritis was compared with that in matched asymptomatic contr ols in a case-control study. Toroviruses were identified in 72 (35.0%) of 206 gastroenteritis cases compared with 30 (14.5%) of 206 controls (P < .001). Clinical features of torovirus gastroenteritis in 172 pat ients positive for torovirus were compared with those of 115 patients infected with rotavirus or astrovirus. Persons infected with torovirus were more frequently immunocompromised (43.0% vs. 15.7% ) and nosocom ially infected (57.6% vs. 31.3%). They also experienced less vomiting (46.4% vs. 66.7%) but had more bloody diarrhea (11.2% vs. 1.8%). An an tibody response to torovirus developed mainly in older, nonimmunocompr omised children (P < .01), These studies demonstrate an association be tween torovirus excretion and gastroenteritis in the pediatric populat ion among immunocompromised hospitalized patients and in previously he althy patients.