Molecular epidemiology of adenovirus conjunctivitis in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, between 2004 and 2007

Abstract

Viral conjunctivitis is a common, highly contagious disease often caused by adenovirus. We investigate the frequency of adenoviral conjunctivitis in the population of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, between March 2004 and May 2007 and identified the predominant serotype circulating among this population. Seventy-five ocular swabs were collected from 66 patients with clinical presentation of conjunctivitis. The specimens were analyzed for detection of adenovirus (AdV) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The PCR products were further analyzed for virus typing by sequence analysis and/or heteroduplex mobility assay (HMA). Forty-five samples (60%) were positive for AdV of which 21 samples were typed as AdV19 (46.7%), 7 AdV8 (15.5%), 3 AdV31 (6.7%), and one each AdV1, AdV2, AdV3, AdV4 and AdV6. For nine samples the serotype was not determined. AdV19 was the predominant serotype circulating in Rio de Janeiro during the studied period.