Chigor VN, Chidebelu PE, Digwo DC, Chigor CB, Nwagwu AU, Udeh OS, Oguonu CI, Dibua MEU, Farkas K. Assessment of the aetiology of acute gastroenteritis outbreaks in infants reveals rotavirus, noroviruses and adenovirus prevalence and viral coinfections in Nsukka, Nigeria.
Virusdisease 2023;
34:297-306. [PMID:
37408547 PMCID:
PMC10317937 DOI:
10.1007/s13337-023-00821-2]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
A better understanding of the aetiology of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) outbreaks in Southeast Nigeria would help safeguarding public health. This study screened stool samples collected from infants (children < 5 years of age) attending selected hospitals in Nsukka for human enteric viruses and evaluated the seasonality of AGE based on three-year records available at selected hospitals. A total of 120 stool samples (109 from diarrhoeal-patients and 11 from non-diarrhoeal patients, as control) collected during the AGE outbreaks of January - March 2019 and January-February 2020. The samples were analysed using an immunochromatographic lateral flow assay for differential qualitative detection of rotavirus (RoV), adenovirus (AdV), and norovirus genogroups I and II (NoVI, NoVII). Three-year (2017-2019) retrospective data on the cases of AGE reported at the hospitals were also collected and analysed. The overall prevalence of acute gastroenteritis was high (75.83%), with 13.19%representing viral co-infections. Rotavirus detection rate (69.17%) was higher than that for other viral agents (15.83%). Both mono- and mixed infections were observed for RoV, AdV and NoVII, whereas NoVI was detected only in co-infection cases. Analysis of risk factors showed that acute gastroenteritis was detected more often in infants of age ˂1 year (73.53%) than in those 1 ≤ 2 years (22.55%) or > 2 years (3.92%) in age. Gender and age were not associated with the cases of co-infections (p˂0.05). The seasonality data indicated one peak of the infection occurring in January 2017 which has decreased consecutively in the subsequent two years. These results demonstrate the prevalence and co-occurrence of enteric viruses in cases of infantile diarrhoea in Nsukka. Further molecular characterization of enteric virus strains, especially noroviruses, in this region would contribute significantly to global epidemiological data.
Supplementary Information
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13337-023-00821-2.
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