Rotavirus infections among HIV-infected children in Nairobi, Kenya

J Trop Pediatr. 2009 Oct;55(5):318-23. doi: 10.1093/tropej/fmp016. Epub 2009 Mar 10.

Abstract

Human rotaviruses have emerged as a leading cause of acute diarrhea in children <5 years of age worldwide. Although there are previous reports relating to various aspects of rotaviruses, there is limited data on the involvement of rotavirus infection in HIV-infected children. We therefore evaluated the importance of rotavirus infections in HIV-related diarrhea in Kenyan children. Fecal samples were collected from a total of 207 children during the period February 1999 to June 2000 and screened for HRV antigen by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Positive samples were analyzed by VP6 subgroup specificity assay, by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and reverse transcriptase/polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Fourteen percent (29/207) of the samples were positive. HIV-seropositive children with diarrhea were more likely than their counterparts without diarrhea to have rotaviruses [23.3% (10/43) versus 2.9% (2/70); p = 0.0001]. Rotavirus strain G3P[6] was predominant. These results indicate that rotavirus is an important viral etiological agent causing diarrhea in HIV-seropositive children.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Diarrhea / epidemiology
  • Diarrhea / etiology
  • Diarrhea / virology*
  • Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Feces / virology
  • Female
  • HIV Infections / complications*
  • HIV Infections / virology
  • HIV-1 / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Kenya / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Pilot Projects
  • Prevalence
  • RNA, Viral / genetics
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Rotavirus / genetics
  • Rotavirus / isolation & purification*
  • Rotavirus Infections / complications*
  • Rotavirus Infections / epidemiology
  • Rotavirus Infections / virology

Substances

  • RNA, Viral