Kasmera (Nov 2002)
Clinical Features of Rotavirus Gastroenteritis and Their Association With Different Electropherotypes
Abstract
From June 1993 to June 1995 stool samples were obtained from 377 children with acute diarrhea admitted to the Antonio Patricio de Alcalá Hospital in Cumaná, Venezuela. Electrophoretic patterns of rotaviruses were detected in 27.85 per cent (105/377) of fecal samples. The long pattern (80%) prevailed over the short pattern (18.09%) and 2 specimens (1.91%) exhibited mixtures of electropherotypes. Viral RNA coelectrophoresis showed 6 distinct patterns, 4 electropherotypes of long profiles and 2 of short profiles. Association was found among the distinct electropherotypes detected and the clinical features of the illness. It was observed that the duration of diarrhea ranged from 3 to 6 days (73.8%), minimum daily evacuation was 1 to 2 times (85.4%), maximum daily evacuation was 5 to 8 times (58,1%). Most of the children showed a moderate dehydration (79,0?%), did not have fever (78,1%), and the duration of vomiting ranged from 1 to 4 days (74.2%). These results suggest that all electropherotypes behaved in a similar way and therefore did not provide information to establish the severity of the infection. Consequently it seems unlikely that the electropherotypes can be used to identify more virulent strains of rotavirus.
