Surveillance of enteric virus infections in a neonatal intensive care unit.

Abstract

Objective. To investigate the epidemiology of neonatal viral gastroenteritis compared to the circulation of enteric viruses in children, 109 newborns in the NICU of Mother and Child Department and 214 children with enteritis admitted to the “G. Di Cristina” Children’s Hospital in Palermo were monitored for Rotavirus, Adenovirus, Astrovirus and Norovirus infections. Methods. Stool samples were examined by EIA to detect viral antigens. Rotavirus strains were subjected to P- and G-typing. Results. A Norovirus strain was detected in one neonatal stool specimen whereas an astrovirus strain was dectected in two neonatal specimens. No Rotavirus or Adenovirus infection was identified among the newborn infants, while Rotavirus infections were detected in 24.8% of the symptomatic children. Type G4P[8] constituted 43.4% of the Rotavirus strains, followed by G2P[4] (18.9%), G3P[8] (17%), G1P[8] (13.2%) and G9P[8] (1.9%). Overall, Norovirus, Adenovirus and Astrovirus strains were responsible for 15.4% of infections in the paediatric population with diarrhoea. Conclusions. Viruses are diffuse agents of infection in children with enteritis. Virological tests have to be performed to diagnose enteric infections in the paediatric population. Maternal immunity to common Rotavirus strains combined with the limited circulation of the emerging G9 Rotavirus type among our population may account for the absence of Rotavirus infections in newborn infants.