Acute gastroenteritis associated with rotavirus in adults

Background Rotavirus (RV) is an important cause of acute infectious diarrhe a in children all over the world. In adults, RV infection tends to be subcl inical; however, outbreaks of gastroenteritis have been reported in emergen cy situations and in closed communities. The aim of this study was to chara cterize electrophoretically and antigenically the strains of rotavirus that caused acute gastroenteritis in adults and correlate them with the clinica l manifestations. Methods. A laboratory-based survey was carried out in which fecal samples f rom 44 patients over 18 years of age with acute gastroenteritis were studie d. Polyacrylamide gels electrophoresis and immunoenzymatic assay with speci fic antibodies to group A rotavirus, serotypes G1-4, PLA, and PIE were carr ied out on all the samples. Results. Twenty-eight (63.63%) of the 44 samples were positive for group A rotavirus. Of these, 19 (68%) had long pattern and nine (32%) short pattern . Of all positive samples, 15 (54%) were serotype G1, seven (25%) were G2, two (7%) were G4, and four (14%) had no monoclonal reaction; all were serot ype PIA. Among the patients with RV infection, 13 (46.4%) required hospital ization and the remaining 15 (53.6%) showed moderate symptoms. Conclusions. The strains that infected the adults were electrophoretically and antigenically the same as those that infected infants in Merida, Yucata n over the last 10 years. No relationship between the severity of the sympt oms and any specific serotype was found. (C) 2001 IMSS. Published by Elsevi er Science Inc.