Influence of enteric viruses on gastroenteritis in Albania: Epidemiological and molecular analysis

Abstract

Gastroenteritis is one of the most important diseases in developing country and viral infections are well documented. To understand better the epidemiological aspect of gastroenteritis in Albania and especially viral gastroenteritis, one-year study was carried out with the cooperation of physicians working in the Paediatric Hospital in University Hospital Center "Mother Thereza" in Tirana. Three hundred thirteen stool samples were collected from children with diarrhoea and a questionnaire was filled by the health personnel for each child. Analysis of the questionnaires revealed that overcrowding families and the limited availability of drinking water at home were risk factors for gastroenteritis. All the tests for enteroviruses were carried out using the molecular methods. One hundred and forty-seven out of three hundred thirteen stool samples showed a specific amplification band for one of the enteric viruses: astrovirus, adenovirus, rotavirus, and norovirus with an overall positive specimen rate of 46.9%. Rotavirus was the most frequent virus identified in 105 out of 147 samples (71.4%), astrovirus in 5 (3.4%), norovirus in 19 (12.9%), and enteric adenovirus in 18 (12.3%) samples. Double infection was present only in 14 samples (9.5%). The data suggest an evident circulation of viruses involved in gastroenteritis with a higher prevalence of rotavirus.

Aetiology of acute paediatric gastroenteritis in Bulgaria during summer months: prevalence of viral infections

“…Overall, viruses were found as a sole pathogen in 53 % of the samples tested, while bacteria and parasites were detected in 13 % in both single and mixed infections. Data from our neighbouring countries Turkey, Greece and Albania (Akhter et al, 2014;Levidiotou et al, 2009;Fabiana et al, 2007) and also from Hungary, Spain and France (Jakab et al, 2009;Boga et al, 2004;Chikhi-Brachet et al, 2002) are concordant with our findings. Most data for Bulgaria are limited to the aetiology of bacterial and parasitic gastroenteritis (Parmakova et al, 2012(Parmakova et al, , 2013; http://www.ncipd.org/epidemiologicalbulletin).…”

Emerging norovirus GII.4 2008 variant detected in hospitalised paediatric patients in South Africa

“…These results are consistent with recent studies that describe RV as the most prevalent and NoV as the second most important viral agent causing gastroenteritis in children (RV 16.6-71.4%; NoV 12-17.3%). [31][32][33][34][35] The NoV and SaV prevalence determined in the current study is higher than previously estimated in the same region, 17 which could be attributed to the more sensitive realtime RT-PCR detection method applied. NoVs were detected only in children up to 2 years old (median age 8 months), which is in agreement with studies in Brazil and Nicaragua where more frequent NoV infections in children ≤2 years old were reported.…”

Burden of rotavirus gastroenteritis in the pediatric population in Central and Eastern Europe

“…19,28 The remaining countries report a percentage of rotaviral infection of between 32% and 43%. [15][16][17]19,[21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31]33 A number of countries reported seasonality data ( Table 1). For most countries in Central and eastern Europe the season for RVGE is in the winter months from November to May with a peak between March and May.…”

“…3). 16,17,19,[22][23][24][25][26]28,30,31,33 Because rotaviral infection rates can vary both over time and geographically within the same country, the dates of data collection and the location of study were noted. Both studies from Albania were based in Tirana, in the center of the country; 30,31 the proportion of rotaviral infection among cases of acute gastroenteritis remained relatively constant at 31.3% in 2001-2002, 30 and 33.5% in 2007.…”

“…2). [15][16][17]19,[21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33] Among the countries with the lowest mean proportions of RVGE were the Czech Republic, Bosnia/Herzegovina 19 Data from the study by Novikova, where the genotype data were more comprehensive, were used instead. 42 Three genotype combinations were present in all seven countries for which complete genotyping data were available from 2005/06 (G1P [8], G4P [8] and G2P [4]) (Fig.…”