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Burden, Prevention, and Control of Enteric Viral Infections

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A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817). This special issue belongs to the section "Viral Pathogens".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 13092

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Benjamin Lee

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Guest Editor

Associate Professor of Pediatrics, The Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at the University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
Interests: enteric viruses; oral vaccines; rotavirus; diarrhea; pediatric global health

Dr. Jessica Crothers

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Guest Editor

Assistant Professor of Pathology, The Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at the University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
Interests: polio; enteric viruses; microbiome; microbiology; vaccines; mucosal immunity

Dr. James Church

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Guest Editor

Honorary Research Fellow, Centre for Genomics and Child Health, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
Interests: enteric infections; oral vaccines; diarrhoea; malnutrition; global child health

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Enteric viral infections remain a serious global health problem. Despite clear progress in recent decades, reducing child morbidity and mortality from severe dehydrating diarrhea remains an ever-constant struggle. Moreover, the recent speculation regarding a role for enteric adenoviruses in outbreaks of severe acute hepatitis in children highlights the constant threat of emerging diseases, while setbacks in the global polio eradication effort demonstrate the potential for old foes to regain traction. All of this is occurring in the context of the most serious global pandemic in recent memory, which has challenged long-standing concepts in infectious disease epidemiology, prevention, and control.

We are, therefore, pleased to announce a Special Issue of Pathogens: “Burden, Prevention, and Control of Enteric Viral Infections”. The goal of the issue is to promote this important public health topic by shedding light on recent updates in the field. Selected manuscripts will focus on enteric viral infections and report on recent clinical, translational, and epidemiologic findings in humans.

Dr. Benjamin Lee
Dr. Jessica Crothers
Dr. James Church
Guest Editors

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Keywords

enteric viruses
vaccines
acute gastroenteritis
public health
global health

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

10 pages, 490 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Infant Non-Secretor Histoblood Group Antigen Phenotype Reduces Susceptibility to Both Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Rotavirus Infection

by Benjamin Lee, Md Abdul Kader, Masud Alam, Dorothy M. Dickson, Patrick Harvey, E. Ross Colgate, Mami Taniuchi, William A. Petri, Jr., Rashidul Haque and Beth D. Kirkpatrick

Pathogens 2024, 13(3), 223; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens13030223 - 4 Mar 2024

Viewed by 2025

Abstract

The infant non-secretor histoblood group antigen phenotype is associated with reduced risk of symptomatic rotavirus diarrhea, one of the leading global causes of severe pediatric diarrheal disease and mortality. However, little is known regarding the role of secretor status in asymptomatic rotavirus infections. Therefore, we performed a nested case–control study within a birth cohort study previously conducted in Dhaka, Bangladesh, to determine the association between infant secretor phenotype and the odds of asymptomatic rotavirus infection, in addition to the risk of rotavirus diarrhea, in unvaccinated infants. In the parent cohort, infants were enrolled in the first week of life and followed through the first two years of life with multiple clinic visits and active surveillance for diarrheal illness. Secretor phenotyping was performed on saliva. Eleven surveillance stools collected over the first year of life were tested for rotavirus by real-time RT-PCR, followed by conventional PCR and amplicon sequencing to identify the infecting P-type of positive specimens. Similar to findings for symptomatic diarrhea, infant non-secretors experienced significantly fewer primary episodes of asymptomatic rotavirus infection through the first year of life in a likely rotavirus P-genotype-dependent manner. These data suggest that non-secretors experienced reduced risk from rotavirus due to decreased susceptibility to infection rather than reduced infection severity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Burden, Prevention, and Control of Enteric Viral Infections)

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14 pages, 1774 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Postbiotic Activities of Bifidobacterium adolescentis: Impacts on Viability, Structural Integrity, and Cell Death Markers in Human Intestinal C2BBe1 Cells

by María Hernández, Martin Sieger, Alfonso Barreto, Carlos A. Guerrero and Juan Ulloa

Pathogens 2024, 13(1), 17; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens13010017 - 23 Dec 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2049

Abstract

Acute diarrheal disease (ADD) caused by rotavirus (RV) contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality in children under five years of age. Currently, there are no specific drugs for the treatment of RV infections. Previously, we reported the anti-rotaviral activity of the protein metabolites derived from Bifidobacterium adolescentis. In this study, our aim was to assess the impact of B. adolescentis-secreted proteins (BaSP), with anti-rotaviral activity on the human intestinal C2BBe1 cell line. We initiated the production of BaSP and subsequently confirmed its anti-rotaviral activity by counting the infectious foci using immunocytochemistry. We then exposed the C2BBe1 cells to various concentrations of BaSP (≤250 µg/mL) for 72 h. Cell viability was assessed using the MTT assay, cell monolayer integrity was monitored through transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER), and cytoskeleton architecture and tight junctions (TJs) were examined using confocal microscopy with F-actin and occludin staining. Finally, we utilized a commercial kit to detect markers of apoptosis and necrosis after 24 h of treatment. The results demonstrated that BaSP does not have adverse effects on C2BBe1 cells. These findings confirm that BaSP inhibits rotavirus infectivity and has the potential to strengthen intestinal defense against viral and bacterial infections via the paracellular route. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Burden, Prevention, and Control of Enteric Viral Infections)

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20 pages, 2123 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Norovirus Epidemiology and Genotype Circulation during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Brazil, 2019–2022

by Sylvia Kahwage Sarmento, Juliana da Silva Ribeiro de Andrade, Fábio Correia Malta, Alexandre Madi Fialho, Mateus de Souza Mello, Fernanda Marcicano Burlandy and Tulio Machado Fumian

Pathogens 2024, 13(1), 3; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens13010003 - 19 Dec 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2805

Abstract

Norovirus stands out as a leading cause of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) worldwide, affecting all age groups. In the present study, we investigated fecal samples from medically attended AGE patients received from nine Brazilian states, from 2019 to 2022, including the COVID-19 pandemic period. Norovirus GI and GII were detected and quantified using RT-qPCR, and norovirus-positive samples underwent genotyping through sequencing the ORF1/2 junction region. During the four-year period, norovirus prevalence was 37.2%, varying from 20.1% in 2020 to 55.4% in 2021. GII genotypes dominated, being detected in 92.9% of samples. GII-infected patients had significantly higher viral concentrations compared to GI-infected patients (median of 3.8 × 10⁷ GC/g and 6.7 × 10⁵ GC/g, respectively); and patients aged >12–24 months showed a higher median viral load (8 × 10⁷ GC/g) compared to other age groups. Norovirus sequencing revealed 20 genotypes by phylogenetic analysis of RdRp and VP1 partial regions. GII.4 Sydney[P16] was the dominant genotype (57.3%), especially in 2019 and 2021, followed by GII.2[P16] (14.8%) and GII.6[P7] (6.3%). The intergenogroup recombinant genotype, GIX.1[GII.P15], was detected in five samples. Our study is the first to explore norovirus epidemiology and genotype distribution in Brazil during COVID-19, and contributes to understanding the epidemiological dynamics of norovirus and highlighting the importance of continuing to follow norovirus surveillance programs in Brazil. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Burden, Prevention, and Control of Enteric Viral Infections)

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11 pages, 268 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Enteric Pathogens Detected in Children under Five Years Old Admitted with Diarrhea in Moshi, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

by Ephrasia A. Hugho, Happiness H. Kumburu, Nelson B. Amani, Bahati Mseche, Athanasia Maro, Lilian E. Ngowi, Yudathadei Kyara, Grace Kinabo, Kate M. Thomas, Eric R. Houpt, Jie Liu, Tine Hald and Blandina T. Mmbaga

Pathogens 2023, 12(4), 618; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12040618 - 19 Apr 2023

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2804

Abstract

Despite the availability and wide coverage of rotavirus vaccinations in Tanzania, there is still a significant number of diarrhea cases being reported, with some patients requiring hospital admission. We investigated diarrhea-causing pathogens and determined the effect of co-infection on clinical symptoms. Total nucleic acid was extracted from archived stool samples (N = 146) collected from children (0–59 months) admitted with diarrhea in health facilities in Moshi, Kilimanjaro. Pathogen detection was performed using the quantitative polymerase chain reaction with custom TaqMan Array cards. The Poisson model was used to determine the effect of co-infection on clinical presentation during admission. Of all the participants, 56.85% were from rural Moshi with a median age of 11.74 months (IQR: 7.41–19.09). Vomiting (88.36%) and a fever (60.27%) were the most frequent clinical manifestations. At least one diarrhea-associated pathogen was detected in 80.14% (n = 117) of the study population. The most prevalent pathogens were rotavirus 38.36% (n = 56), adenovirus 40/41 19.86% (n = 29), Shigella/EIEC 12.33% (n = 18), norovirus GII 11.44% (n = 17) and Cryptosporidium 9.59% (n = 14). Co-infections were detected in 26.03% of the study population (n = 38). The presence of multiple pathogens in the stool samples of children with diarrhea indicates poor sanitation and may have significant implications for disease management and patient outcomes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Burden, Prevention, and Control of Enteric Viral Infections)

9 pages, 541 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Household Surveillance for Norovirus Gastroenteritis in a Nicaraguan Birth Cohort: A Nested Case—Control Analysis of Norovirus Risk Factors

by Nadja Alexandra Vielot, Omar Zepeda, Yaoska Reyes, Fredman González, Jan Vinjé, Sylvia Becker-Dreps and Filemón Bucardo

Pathogens 2023, 12(3), 505; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12030505 - 22 Mar 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2650

Abstract

Norovirus causes a large proportion of pediatric acute gastroenteritis (AGE) worldwide, and no vaccines are currently available. To inform public health measures against norovirus gastroenteritis, we assessed risk factors in a case–control study nested in a birth cohort study in Nicaragua. Between June 2017 and January 2022, we followed children weekly for AGE episodes, and collected stool specimens from symptomatic children. Risk factors for AGE were collected during routine weekly visits. Norovirus was detected in stools using real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and positive specimens were genotyped using Sanger sequencing. We included 40 norovirus-positive AGE children matched 1:2 to controls and conducted bivariate and multivariable analyses of norovirus AGE risk factors. Among typeable norovirus infections, GII.4 were more severe than non-GII.4 (four/twenty-one vs. one/nine) and accounted for all emergency visits and hospitalizations. Adjusted conditional logistic regression found that female sex and higher length-for-age Z score were protective against norovirus AGE; a dirt floor in the home, sharing cups or bottles, and recent contact with someone with AGE symptoms were associated with norovirus AGE, though estimates were highly imprecise. Reducing contact with symptomatic persons and with saliva or other bodily fluids on cups or floors could reduce infant norovirus incidence. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Burden, Prevention, and Control of Enteric Viral Infections)

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