A Prospective Case‐Control Study of the Role of Astrovirus in Acute Diarrhea among Hospitalized Young Children

TLDR

The study investigates the role of astrovirus in acute diarrhea among hospitalized children under 10 years old over a five‑year period. Stool specimens were examined by electron microscopy and enzyme immunoassays for astrovirus, rotavirus, and adenovirus. Astrovirus was detected in 14.6% of hospitalized children, ranking second to rotavirus, with community and nosocomial rates of 6.8% and 16.2%; infections peaked March–June, type 1 predominated, and affected younger children with less dehydration and milder symptoms than rotavirus, underscoring its importance as a treatable pathogen in children under two.

Abstract

This study examines the importance of astroviruses as a cause of acute diarrhea in hospitalized children <10 years old during a 5-year period. Stools were screened by electron microscopy and were tested for astrovirus, rotavirus, and enteric adenovirus by EIA. During the study, 14.6% of hospitalized children had diarrhea. Astroviruses were second only to rotaviruses as etiologic agents of both community-acquired and nosocomial diarrhea. Community-acquired astrovirus infection occurred in 6.8% of patients, and nosocomial disease occurred in 16.2%. Most cases occurred from March through June, and astrovirus type 1 was the most common. The symptoms of astrovirus-infected children were similar to those of children with rotavirus infection. However, astrovirus-infected children had a lower median age, less dehydration, and lower symptom severity scores and were less likely to have been admitted for gastroenteritis than were children with rotavirus. Astrovirus, for which only rehydration therapy is required, should be considered as another common diarrheal pathogen in children <2 years old.