Screening for viral pathogens in the gastrointestinal tract from cases of sudden unexpected death in infancy at the Tygerberg Medico-legal Mortuary
Abstract Sudden and unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) may be triggered by an external risk or exposure. Intestinal infections with enteric viruses may disrupt the gut and enhance bacterial toxins present in SUDI cases. While diarrhoeal disease deaths have decreased worldwide, approximately half a m...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Virology Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12985-023-02249-y |
| _version_ | 1797416040566620160 |
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| author | Danielle T Cupido Corena de Beer |
| author_facet | Danielle T Cupido Corena de Beer |
| author_sort | Danielle T Cupido |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Sudden and unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) may be triggered by an external risk or exposure. Intestinal infections with enteric viruses may disrupt the gut and enhance bacterial toxins present in SUDI cases. While diarrhoeal disease deaths have decreased worldwide, approximately half a million deaths still occur in children in Sub- Saharan Africa and South Asia. Furthermore, the role of viral enteropathogens in SUDI cases have not been investigated. The aim of this study was to describe specific viral pathogens in stool samples collected from SUDI cases and age-matched, apparently healthy infants in Cape Town, South Africa. Stool samples were collected from 176 SUDI cases between June 2017 and May 2018. In addition, stool samples were collected from the nappies of 30 age-matched, apparently healthy infants as a control group. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed on the stool samples for viral detection. A total of 111 SUDI cases were positive for viruses, with rotavirus (38.6%; 68/176) and norovirus GI and GII (30.0%; 53/176) were prevalent in SUDI cases. Adenovirus Type F was present in only 15.9% (28/176), astrovirus in 9.7% (17/176), and sapovirus in 0.6% (1/176) of cases. In the control samples, norovirus GII was detected most frequently (36.7%; 11/30), followed by rotavirus (33.3%; 10/30), and sapovirus in 6.7% (2/30). While there was no significant association between SUDI cases and enteric viruses, the majority of viruses were significantly associated with the seasons. The study confirms the importance of rotavirus vaccination and describes the significance of norovirus infection in children, post rotavirus vaccine introduction. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T05:58:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2e18437d12cc40ab9e3771bdc37005cd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1743-422X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T05:58:02Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Virology Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-2e18437d12cc40ab9e3771bdc37005cd2023-12-03T12:11:37ZengBMCVirology Journal1743-422X2023-11-012011810.1186/s12985-023-02249-yScreening for viral pathogens in the gastrointestinal tract from cases of sudden unexpected death in infancy at the Tygerberg Medico-legal MortuaryDanielle T Cupido0Corena de Beer1Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, Stellenbosch UniversityDivision of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, Stellenbosch UniversityAbstract Sudden and unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) may be triggered by an external risk or exposure. Intestinal infections with enteric viruses may disrupt the gut and enhance bacterial toxins present in SUDI cases. While diarrhoeal disease deaths have decreased worldwide, approximately half a million deaths still occur in children in Sub- Saharan Africa and South Asia. Furthermore, the role of viral enteropathogens in SUDI cases have not been investigated. The aim of this study was to describe specific viral pathogens in stool samples collected from SUDI cases and age-matched, apparently healthy infants in Cape Town, South Africa. Stool samples were collected from 176 SUDI cases between June 2017 and May 2018. In addition, stool samples were collected from the nappies of 30 age-matched, apparently healthy infants as a control group. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed on the stool samples for viral detection. A total of 111 SUDI cases were positive for viruses, with rotavirus (38.6%; 68/176) and norovirus GI and GII (30.0%; 53/176) were prevalent in SUDI cases. Adenovirus Type F was present in only 15.9% (28/176), astrovirus in 9.7% (17/176), and sapovirus in 0.6% (1/176) of cases. In the control samples, norovirus GII was detected most frequently (36.7%; 11/30), followed by rotavirus (33.3%; 10/30), and sapovirus in 6.7% (2/30). While there was no significant association between SUDI cases and enteric viruses, the majority of viruses were significantly associated with the seasons. The study confirms the importance of rotavirus vaccination and describes the significance of norovirus infection in children, post rotavirus vaccine introduction.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12985-023-02249-yViral gastroenteritisSudden unexpected death in infancySUDIViral enteropathogens |
| spellingShingle | Danielle T Cupido Corena de Beer Screening for viral pathogens in the gastrointestinal tract from cases of sudden unexpected death in infancy at the Tygerberg Medico-legal Mortuary Virology Journal Viral gastroenteritis Sudden unexpected death in infancy SUDI Viral enteropathogens |
| title | Screening for viral pathogens in the gastrointestinal tract from cases of sudden unexpected death in infancy at the Tygerberg Medico-legal Mortuary |
| title_full | Screening for viral pathogens in the gastrointestinal tract from cases of sudden unexpected death in infancy at the Tygerberg Medico-legal Mortuary |
| title_fullStr | Screening for viral pathogens in the gastrointestinal tract from cases of sudden unexpected death in infancy at the Tygerberg Medico-legal Mortuary |
| title_full_unstemmed | Screening for viral pathogens in the gastrointestinal tract from cases of sudden unexpected death in infancy at the Tygerberg Medico-legal Mortuary |
| title_short | Screening for viral pathogens in the gastrointestinal tract from cases of sudden unexpected death in infancy at the Tygerberg Medico-legal Mortuary |
| title_sort | screening for viral pathogens in the gastrointestinal tract from cases of sudden unexpected death in infancy at the tygerberg medico legal mortuary |
| topic | Viral gastroenteritis Sudden unexpected death in infancy SUDI Viral enteropathogens |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12985-023-02249-y |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT danielletcupido screeningforviralpathogensinthegastrointestinaltractfromcasesofsuddenunexpecteddeathininfancyatthetygerbergmedicolegalmortuary AT corenadebeer screeningforviralpathogensinthegastrointestinaltractfromcasesofsuddenunexpecteddeathininfancyatthetygerbergmedicolegalmortuary |