Nationwide surveillance study of human astrovirus infections in an Italian paediatric population

SUMMARYThe study investigated the genetic diversity of human astroviruses (HAstVs) detected in children hospitalized with gastroenteritis in Italy in 2008–2009. A total of 1321 faecal samples were collected in Parma (northern Italy), Bari (southern Italy), and Palermo (Sicily) and screened for the presence of HAstVs. RT–PCR amplification of a portion at the 5′-end of ORF2 allowed the detection of HAstVs in 3·95% of the patients. Four different genotypes (HAstV-1, HAstV-2, HAstV-4, HAstV-5) were found to be circulating during the study period, with HAstV-1 being the predominant type. Interestingly, a novel lineage, proposed as HAstV-2d, was found to have emerged in Parma in 2009. Investigating the genetic variability of HAstVs will be important for understanding the epidemiological trends and evolution of these viruses.

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Persistence of human astrovirus in fresh and marine water

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.1997.0741 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 35 (11-12) ◽

pp. 243-247 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

A. Bosch ◽

R. M. Pintó ◽

C. Villena ◽

F. X. Abad

Keyword(s):

Tap Water ◽

Oral Route ◽

Marine Water ◽

Rt Pcr ◽

Cell Infection ◽

Cell Monolayers ◽

Human Astroviruses ◽

Bacterial Gastroenteritis ◽

Human Astrovirus ◽

Polymerase Chain

Large gastroenteritis outbreaks associated with astroviruses are being reported with increasing frequency suggesting that astrovirus may be an important agent of epidemic acute non-bacterial gastroenteritis in children and adults. In this study, a procedure, based on infection of CaCo-2 cell monolayers followed by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, was developed to ascertain the persistence of infectious human astroviruses in tap and marine water at 4±1°C and 20±1°C. The adequacy of this methodology for monitoring the decay of infectious fastidious viruses was assessed by determining the survival of a cytocidal virus (poliovirus 1) concomitantly by MPNCU and cell infection plus RT-PCR. After 60d in dechlorinated tap water, the decay of astrovirus infectivity was lower than 2 logs at 4±1°C and around 3.6 logs at 20±1°C, while after 90d the titre reduction was around 3.3 and 4.3 logs at 4±1°C and 20±1°C respectively. In natural non-autoclaved seawater at 20°C, astrovirus showed a lower level of persistence. The possibility to acquire data on the survival of fastidious viruses in the environment opens new perspectives on the epidemiology of some health significant infections transmitted by the faecal-oral route.

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Multiple novel astrovirus species in human stool

Journal of General Virology ◽

10.1099/vir.0.014449-0 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 90 (12) ◽

pp. 2965-2972 ◽

Cited By ~ 158

Author(s):

A. Kapoor ◽

L. Li ◽

J. Victoria ◽

B. Oderinde ◽

C. Mason ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Developing Countries ◽

Genetic Distance ◽

Complete Genome ◽

Rt Pcr ◽

Rna Sequences ◽

Human Astroviruses ◽

Human Astrovirus ◽

Stool Samples ◽

Human Stool

Diarrhoea remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in developing countries where numerous cases remain without identified aetiology. Astroviruses are a recently identified cause of animal gastroenteritis which currently includes two species suspected of causing human diarrhoea. Using pan-astrovirus RT-PCR, we analysed human stool samples from different continents for astrovirus-related RNA sequences. We identified variants of the two known human astrovirus species plus, based on genetic distance criteria, three novel astrovirus species all distantly related to mink and ovine astroviruses, which we provisionally named HMOAstV species A–C. The complete genome of species A displayed all the conserved characteristics of mammalian astroviruses. Each of the now three groups of astroviruses found in human stool (HAstV, AstV-MLB and HMOAstV) were more closely related to animal astroviruses than to each other, indicating that human astroviruses may periodically emerge from zoonotic transmissions. Based on the pathogenic impact of their closest phylogenetic relatives in animals, further investigations of the role of HMOAstV, so far detected in Nigeria, Nepal and Pakistan, in human gastroenteritis are warranted.

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Genetic Diversity of Astrovirus in Children From a Birth Cohort in Nepal

Frontiers in Microbiology ◽

10.3389/fmicb.2020.588707 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

Author(s):

Sanjaya Kumar Shrestha ◽

Jasmin Shrestha ◽

Ashild K. Andreassen ◽

Tor A. Strand ◽

Susanne Dudman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Young Children ◽

Birth Cohort ◽

Pcr Analysis ◽

Classical Type ◽

Rt Pcr ◽

Positive Stool ◽

Human Astroviruses ◽

Human Astrovirus ◽

Stool Samples

Objective: This study describes the types of Human astroviruses detected in stool samples collected from a birth cohort of children in Nepal.Methods: Using a commercial kit (ProSpecT), a total of 5,224 diarrheal and non-diarrheal stool samples were screened for Human astrovirus by ELISA. RT-PCR was performed on ELISA positive samples (2.8%) for further confirmation. The primary RT-PCR assay used targets the ORF2 region and detects human astrovirus type 1–8. Samples that were negative in this assay were further analyzed using primers that target the ORF1b region of human astrovirus which detect both classical type (HAstV 1–8) and novel types (MLB1–5, VA 1–5). PCR positive samples were analyzed by Sanger sequencing to determine the genotype.Results: A total of 148 available ELISA positive stool samples were analyzed by RT-PCR and further genotyped. RT-PCR analysis of these samples using the ORF2 and ORF1b assay revealed that 124 (84%) were positive for classical human types (HAstV 1–8). Seven different classical HAstV genotypes based on ORF2 and ORF1a were identified (HAstV 1- HAstV 8) with the greatest prevalence of HAstV 5 genotype (42.2%), followed by HAstV 1 (34.7%), HAstV 2 and HAstV 8 (7.4%), HAstV 4 (4.1%), HAstV 3 (3.3%), and HAstV 6 (0.8%). Non-classical types were not detected in our study.Conclusion: A high diversity of circulating Astrovirus strains were detected in young children, both with and without symptoms of gastroenteritis. HAstV 5 and HAstV 1 were the most common genotypes in young children in Nepal.

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Multiple Types of Novel Enteric Bopiviruses (Picornaviridae) with the Possibility of Interspecies Transmission Identified from Cloven-Hoofed Domestic Livestock (Ovine, Caprine and Bovine) in Hungary

Viruses ◽

10.3390/v13010066 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 66

Author(s):

Zoltán László ◽

Péter Pankovics ◽

Gábor Reuter ◽

Attila Cságola ◽

Ádám Bálint ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Novel Species ◽

Phylogenetic Analyses ◽

Interspecies Transmission ◽

Background Information ◽

Type Ii ◽

Rt Pcr ◽

Faecal Samples ◽

The Family ◽

Domestic Livestock

Most picornaviruses of the family Picornaviridae are relatively well known, but there are certain “neglected” genera like Bopivirus, containing a single uncharacterised sequence (bopivirus A1, KM589358) with very limited background information. In this study, three novel picornaviruses provisionally called ovipi-, gopi- and bopivirus/Hun (MW298057-MW298059) from enteric samples of asymptomatic ovine, caprine and bovine respectively, were determined using RT-PCR and dye-terminator sequencing techniques. These monophyletic viruses share the same type II-like IRES, NPGP-type 2A, similar genome layout (4-3-4) and cre-localisations. Culture attempts of the study viruses, using six different cell lines, yielded no evidence of viral growth in vitro. Genomic and phylogenetic analyses show that bopivirus/Hun of bovine belongs to the species Bopivirus A, while the closely related ovine-origin ovipi- and caprine-origin gopivirus could belong to a novel species “Bopivirus B” in the genus Bopivirus. Epidemiological investigation of N = 269 faecal samples of livestock (ovine, caprine, bovine, swine and rabbit) from different farms in Hungary showed that bopiviruses were most prevalent among <12-month-old ovine, caprine and bovine, but undetectable in swine and rabbit. VP1 capsid-based phylogenetic analyses revealed the presence of multiple lineages/genotypes, including closely related ovine/caprine strains, suggesting the possibility of ovine–caprine interspecies transmission of certain bopiviruses.

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Human Astrovirus Outbreak in a Daycare Center and Propagation among Household Contacts

Viruses ◽

10.3390/v13061100 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 1100

Author(s):

Ignacio Parrón ◽

Elsa Plasencia ◽

Thais Cornejo-Sánchez ◽

Mireia Jané ◽

Cristina Pérez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Acute Gastroenteritis ◽

Age Groups ◽

Rt Pcr ◽

Daycare Center ◽

Infected People ◽

Conditioning Factors ◽

Household Contacts ◽

Human Astrovirus ◽

Asymptomatic Infections ◽

Clinical Cases

We investigated an outbreak of acute gastroenteritis due to human astrovirus in a daycare center, describing the transmission mechanism, the most affected age groups, conditioning factors and the extent of the outbreak among household contacts of the daycare center attenders. Data were collected from persons exposed at the daycare center and their home contacts. Fecal samples from affected and non-affected daycare center attenders were analyzed for viruses causing acute gastroenteritis by RT-PCR. The percentage of households affected and the attack rates (AR) were calculated. The attack rates were compared using the rate ratio (RR) with 95% confidence intervals. Information was obtained from 245 people (76 attenders and 169 contacts) of whom 49 were clinical cases. Five HAstV-4, two HAstV-8 and three non-typable HAstV cases were identified (six from clinical cases and four from asymptomatic infected people). The global AR was 20% (41.2% in children aged < 2 years). Data were obtained from 67 households: 20 households of affected attenders and 47 of non-affected attendees. Household contacts of affected attenders had a higher AR (74.3%) than that of non-affected attendees (2.4%). We found asymptomatic infections amongst daycare attendees. The transmission of HAstV during the outbreak was not limited to the daycare center but extended to household contacts of both affected and non-affected attenders.

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RT-PCR Amplification of Various Canine Cytokines and Socalled House-keeping Genes in a Species-Specific Macrophage Cell Line (DH82) and Canine Peripheral Blood Leukocytes

Journal of Veterinary Medicine Series B ◽

10.1111/j.1439-0450.1999.tb01235.x ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 46 (5) ◽

pp. 301-310 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

A. Grone ◽

S. Fonfara ◽

S. Markus ◽

W. Baumgartner

Keyword(s):

Cell Line ◽

Peripheral Blood ◽

Pcr Amplification ◽

Peripheral Blood Leukocytes ◽

Macrophage Cell Line ◽

Rt Pcr ◽

Macrophage Cell ◽

Blood Leukocytes ◽

Species Specific

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Effect of Helicobacter pylori infection on gastric cell proliferation and genomic instablity in a paediatric population of Southern Italy

Digestive and Liver Disease ◽

10.1016/s1590-8658(01)80690-3 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 33 (9) ◽

pp. 743-749 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

G. Nardone ◽

S. Staibano ◽

A. Rocco ◽

E. Mezza ◽

T. Balzano ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cell Proliferation ◽

Helicobacter Pylori ◽

Southern Italy ◽

Paediatric Population ◽

Helicobacter Pylori Infection ◽

Gastric Cell

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Human Astrovirus 1–8 Seroprevalence Evaluation in a United States Adult Population

Viruses ◽

10.3390/v13060979 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 979

Author(s):

Lena Meyer ◽

Kevin Delgado-Cunningham ◽

Nicholas Lorig-Roach ◽

Jordan Ford ◽

Rebecca M. DuBois

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Adult Population ◽

Neutralizing Antibody ◽

Viral Gastroenteritis ◽

Igg Antibodies ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Human Astroviruses ◽

Serotype 1 ◽

Serotype 5 ◽

Human Astrovirus

Human astroviruses are an important cause of viral gastroenteritis globally, yet few studies have investigated the serostatus of adults to establish rates of previous infection. Here, we applied biolayer interferometry immunosorbent assay (BLI-ISA), a recently developed serosurveillance technique, to measure the presence of blood plasma IgG antibodies directed towards the human astrovirus capsid spikes from serotypes 1–8 in a cross-sectional sample of a United States adult population. The seroprevalence rates of IgG antibodies were 73% for human astrovirus serotype 1, 62% for serotype 3, 52% for serotype 4, 29% for serotype 5, 27% for serotype 8, 22% for serotype 2, 8% for serotype 6, and 8% for serotype 7. Notably, seroprevalence rates for capsid spike antigens correlate with neutralizing antibody rates determined previously. This work is the first seroprevalence study evaluating all eight classical human astrovirus serotypes.

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