Applicability of Bio‐wipes for the collection of human faecal specimens for detection and characterisation of enteric viruses

Abstract

Abstractobjective To determine whether gastroenteritis viruses and other enteric viruses could be detected in faecal specimens collected with Bio-wipes.methods Faecal specimens, self-collected with Bio-wipes, from 190 individuals (94 diarrhoeal, 93 nondiarrhoeal, 3 unknown) were screened for eight human enteric viruses (enterovirus, hepatitis A virus, adenovirus, astrovirus, norovirus GI and GII, sapovirus and rotavirus) by real-time (reverse transcription)-polymerase chain reaction. Rotaviruses and noroviruses from positive specimens were genotyped.results At least one enteric virus could be detected in 82.6% (157/190) of faecal specimens. Mixed infections of up to four different viruses could be detected in both diarrhoeal and non-diarrhoeal specimens. Enteroviruses were detected most frequently (63.7%), followed by adenoviruses (48.4%) and noroviruses (32.2%). Genotyping was successful for 78.6% of rotaviruses and 44.8% of noroviruses.conclusions Bio-wipes provide a user friendly, easier method for stool collection that facilitates enteric virus detection and genetic characterisation.keywords Bio-wipe, enteric virus, faecal specimen, virus detection

Sapovirus prevalence in children less than five years of age hospitalised for diarrhoeal disease in South Africa, 2009–2013

“…The SaV prevalence was similar to the 8.4% in individuals of all ages in Limpopo Province (2007)(2008) and double the 4% in hospitalised children in Pretoria in 2008 [10,11]. The median age of infection in SA was similar to the mean age of infection in Kenya (11 months) [4].…”

“…In these studies, SaVs were common during the winter months and in younger children [1]. Sapovirus prevalence has only been described in a few sub-Saharan African countries, including Kenya (5.7% in <14 years) [6], Tanzania (5.7-6.4% in <5 years) [7,8], Malawi (8% in <5 years) [9], South Africa (SA; 4.1-8.4% in all ages) [10,11], Gabon (9.5% in <5 years) [12] and Burkina Faso (18% in <5 years) [13]. These studies utilized molecular methods for SaV detection with an average prevalence of 7.5% (95% CI 3.4%-11.5%) among diarrhoeal cases.…”

<p>University students’ knowledge, attitudes, and practice regarding antibiotic use and associated factors: a cross-sectional study in the United Arab Emirates</p>

“…This finding is similar to that of a study14 conducted on undergraduates in northern Nigeria (38.8%), but higher than found in studies in China (27%)15 and Jordan (28%) 16. These rates were much lower than found in Kosovo (63.2%),17 Jordan (63.9%),18 Pakistan (60%),19 southern China (47.8%),20 western China (40.2%),21 Khartoum (41%),22 and Italy (45%)23 Even higher rates of antibiotic self-medication have been observed in Australia (91.7%),24 Beijing (90.4%),25 Kashmir (80.89%),26 and Punjab (74%) 27. Such a high prevalence of antibiotic self-medication among university students reflects the irrational use of antibiotics, which in turn increases the risk of antimicrobial resistance, adverse effects, and an economic health burden.…”

Prevalence of Human Sapovirus in Low and Middle Income Countries

“…Detection of SV from children in Africa is recorded with different incidence rates: in Tunisia [0.8%] [ 57 ], Burkina Faso [18%, 10.3%, respectively] [ 16 , 51 ], and South Africa [4.1%, 7.7%, respectively] [ 53 , 56 ]. The prevalence of SV in all ages was reported from South Africa [8.4%] [ 54 ], Ethiopia [4.2%] [ 52 ], and Kenya [4%] [ 3 ]. A predominance of SV-GIV (53/221, 24%) was noted in the South African study done on stool samples from hospitalised children with gastroenteritis [ 55 ].…”