Abstract Title
Patterns of coinfection with enteric pathogens in norovirus infections
Presenter
leidy altamirano, Universidad de Antofagasta
Co-Author(s)
Leidy Altamirano1, Jonatan J. Carvajal1, Andrea Marcela Avellaneda1, Richard Olivares Olivares1, Mauricio Farfán4, and Jan Vinjé5, Margarita K. Lay1,2,3
Author affiliations:
1 Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Marine Sciences and Biological Resources, University of Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile.
2 Antofagasta Center for Research in Immunology and Biomedical Biotechnology, University of Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile.
3 Millennium Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Antofagasta, Chile.
4 Molecular Biology Laboratory, Hospital Dr. Luis Calvo Mackenna, Santiago, Chile
5 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Abstract Category
Epidemology
Abstract
Human noroviruses are one of the leading causes of acute gastroenteritis in young children worldwide. In this study, fecal samples (n=54) from hospitalized children under 4 years of age with acute gastroenteritis in Chile, were tested for enteric pathogens by using FilmArray and for norovirus by conventional RT-PCR. These samples were subsequently analyzed by Google Colab, a platform for data analysis of frequency, which revealed the following:
Of the 54 norovirus-positive cases analyzed, genogroup II (GII) was the most prevalent, detected in 26 cases (48%), followed by coinfection caused by GI/GII, which was found in 20 cases (37%), and lastly by GI that was present in 8 cases (14%). Interestingly, GII was most frequently detected in children 1 to 2 years of age. Furthermore, 65.4% (17/26) of GII norovirus positive samples were found to be coinfected, more frequently with EPEC, rotavirus A, and Clostridium difficile; whereas 75% (6/8) of GI norovirus-positive samples were found to be coinfected more frequently with rotavirus A; and 60% (12/20) of GI/GII norovirus-positive samples were found to be coinfected, with a higher frequency with EPEC and Clostridium difficile. It is noteworthy that children under 1 year of age primarily presented with viral infections, those between 1 to 3 years often exhibited viral and bacterial coinfections, and children over 3 years of age predominantly presented with bacterial infections. These findings highlight the critical 13- to 24-month period, during which norovirus is present alongside the greatest pathogen diversity.
Of the 54 norovirus-positive cases analyzed, genogroup II (GII) was the most prevalent, detected in 26 cases (48%), followed by coinfection caused by GI/GII, which was found in 20 cases (37%), and lastly by GI that was present in 8 cases (14%). Interestingly, GII was most frequently detected in children 1 to 2 years of age. Furthermore, 65.4% (17/26) of GII norovirus positive samples were found to be coinfected, more frequently with EPEC, rotavirus A, and Clostridium difficile; whereas 75% (6/8) of GI norovirus-positive samples were found to be coinfected more frequently with rotavirus A; and 60% (12/20) of GI/GII norovirus-positive samples were found to be coinfected, with a higher frequency with EPEC and Clostridium difficile. It is noteworthy that children under 1 year of age primarily presented with viral infections, those between 1 to 3 years often exhibited viral and bacterial coinfections, and children over 3 years of age predominantly presented with bacterial infections. These findings highlight the critical 13- to 24-month period, during which norovirus is present alongside the greatest pathogen diversity.