Investigation of Rotavirus with Various Methods in Children with Acute Gastroenteritis and Determination of Its Molecular Epidemiology in Kayseri Province, Turkey.

BACKGROUND: In this study, the fresh stool samples from 254 children under 5 years of age with acute gastroenteritis which were delivered between October 2012 and December 2013 were collected.

METHODS: In the stool samples, rotavirus antigens were investigated using two different immunochromatographic methods which are routinely used at different times, namely the RIDA(®) QUICK Rotavirus/Adenovirus Combi Test (R-Biopharm AG, Germany) and the Genx(®) Rotavirus Test (Diamed-Lab, Turkey), in addition to the Rotavirus Ag (Stool) ELISA (DRG, Germany) kit. The results were compared with reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR).

RESULTS: When the Genx(®) Rotavirus Test and RIDA(®) QUICK Rotavirus/Adenovirus Combi Test immunochromatographic methods were compared with RT-PCR, their sensitivity and specificity were found as 97.1%, 100%, and 80.4%, 72%, respectively. As to the Rotavirus Ag (Stool) ELISA method, on the other hand, its sensitivity was found to be 95.1% and its specificity was 86.5%. The most common genotype was G9P[8] (40%), which was followed by the G1P[8] (18.7%) and G3P[8] (9.6%) genotypes.

CONCLUSION: Consequently, it was revealed that the sensitivity of ELISA and immunochromatographic methods, which provide results in a short time and are used in the investigation of rotavirus antigen, was high and their specificity was low; further studies to determine the distribution of G and P genotypes will contribute to establishing strategies for vaccine development for rotavirus in the world.