7 research outputs found
Rotavirus Strain Diversity in the Centre Coast of Tunisia from 2000 through 2003
An epidemiological survey investigating rotavirus infection in children was undertaken in the coastal region of Tunisia from January 2000 through September 2003. A total of 309 fecal specimens were screened by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and latex agglutination assay for the presence of group A rotavirus antigen. The detection rate was 26.2%. Rotavirus outbreaks showed a temperature-dependant pattern (P= .026) but no significant association with rainfall. Rotavirus strains isolated were analyzed by RNA polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and were characterized antigenically by monoclonal antibodies to the VP6 subgroup. Eight RNA electropherotypes were identified, with 3 long and 5 short different RNA profiles. Among VP6 typeable strains, all isolates with a long electrophoretic pattern carried the subgroup II specificity, whereas those with a short profile belonged to subgroup I. In total, 48 rotavirus-positive samples were analyzed for G and P typing by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. A total of 8 different G and P combinations were found: G1P[8] (35.7%), G1P[6] (21.4%), G2P[4] (4.8%), G3P[4] (4.8%), G4P[6] (4.8%), G8P[8] (4.8%), G3P[8] (2.3%), and G4P[8] (2.3%). Mixed infections were detected in 19.1% of stool samples. The emergence in Tunisia of unconventional types, such as G8VP7 specificity, highlights the need for a continual survey of the uncommon strains in North Afric
Molecular analysis of adenovirus strains responsible for gastroenteritis in children, under five, in Tunisia
Purpose of work: Enteric Adenovirus (EAdV) is recognized as one of the most commonly identified agents responsible for severe acute gastroenteritis (AGEs) in the stools of infants.We sought to determine the rate of human adenovirus (HAdV) infections, and the genotypic characterization of circulating strains of HAdV in children under 5 years of age with AGEs in university and regional hospitals, located in the Center-East of Tunisia, from January 2014 to December 2016. Methods: A classic PCR was performed on 582 stool samples taken within 5 days of the onset of symptoms. Chosen positive samples were sequenced, and some of the results were confirmed by the Next Generation Sequencing technique (NGS). Partial nucleotide sequences of the Hexon gene obtained in this study were compared with the NCBI GenBank database using BLAST. Multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis were conducted using MEGA6 software. The phylogenetic tree was generated using the maximum-likelihood method and bootstrap analysis was performed with 1000 replications. Results: Out of 582 samples, 52 (8.93 %) cases were positive for HAdV, with a male predominance (57.4 %). Phylogenetic analyses showed that Tunisian HAdV strains clustered into five HAdV lineages corresponding to serotypes F41 (14/28), C2 (9/28), C5 (3/28), E4 (1/28), and A18 (1/28). HAdV was more frequent in children aged up to 12 months, as compared to the other age groups. The HAdV activity was noted in almost all the months of the year with a peak in autumn, in 2014 and 2015, and in winter in 2016. Conclusion: This study showed that infections with HAdV species were frequent in children suffering from AGE with the predominance of HAdV F41 and C2. This result underlines the importance of regular monitoring of circulating genotypes, and it could be useful for future epidemiological research
Feline Origin of Rotavirus Strain, Tunisia, 2008
In Tunisia in 2008, an unusual G6P[9] rotavirus, RVA/human-wt/TUN/17237/2008/G6P[9], rarely found in humans, was detected in a child. To determine the origin of this strain, we conducted phylogenetic analyses and found a unique genotype constellation resembling rotaviruses belonging to the feline BA222-like genotype constellation. The strain probably resulted from direct cat-to-human transmission
Molecular characterization of respiratory syncytial virus circulating in Tunisia between 2015 and 2018
Rotavirus strain diversity in the Centre Coast of Tunisia from 2000 through 2003
An epidemiological survey investigating rotavirus infection in children was undertaken in the coastal region of Tunisia from January 2000 through September 2003. A total of 309 fecal specimens were screened by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and latex agglutination assay for the presence of group A rotavirus antigen. The detection rate was 26.2%. Rotavirus outbreaks showed a temperature-dependant pattern (P = .026) but no significant association with rainfall. Rotavirus strains isolated were analyzed by RNA polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and were characterized antigenically by monoclonal antibodies to the VP6 subgroup. Eight RNA electropherotypes were identified, with 3 long and 5 short different RNA profiles. Among VP6 typeable strains, all isolates with a long electrophoretic pattern carried the subgroup II specificity, whereas those with a short profile belonged to subgroup I. In total, 48 rotavirus-positive samples were analyzed for G and P typing by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. A total of 8 different G and P combinations were found: G1P[8] (35.7%), G1P[6] (21.4%), G2P[4] (4.8%), G3P[4] (4.8%), G4P[6] (4.8%), G8P[8] (4.8%), G3P[8] (2.3%), and G4P[8] (2.3%). Mixed infections were detected in 19.1% of stool samples. The emergence in Tunisia of unconventional types, such as G8VP7 specificity, highlights the need for a continual survey of the uncommon strains in North Africa.World Health Organization (V27/181/113 and V27/181/136) and the South African Medical Research Council