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Stacey Schultz-cherry - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Astrovirus and the microbiome.
Current opinion in virology, 2019Co-Authors: Valerie Cortez, Elisa Margolis, Stacey Schultz-cherryAbstract:Although Astroviruses are most commonly associated with acute gastrointestinal illness in humans, their ability to infect a broad range of hosts and cause a spectrum of disease makes them widespread and complex pathogens. The precise mechanisms that dictate the course of Astrovirus disease have not been studied extensively but are likely driven by multifactorial host-microbe interactions. Recent insights from studies of animal Astrovirus Infections have revealed both beneficial and detrimental effects for the host. However, further in-depth studies are needed to fully explore the consequences of Astrovirus-induced changes in the gut microenvironment as well as the role of the microbiota in Astrovirus Infection.
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Type I Interferon Response Limits Astrovirus Replication and Protects Against Increased Barrier Permeability in vitro and in vivo
Journal of virology, 2015Co-Authors: Shauna A. Marvin, Troy Cline, Pamela Freiden, C. Theodore Huerta, Bridgett Sharp, Stacey Schultz-cherryAbstract:ABSTRACT Little is known about intrinsic epithelial cell responses against Astrovirus Infection. Here we show that human Astrovirus type 1 (HAstV-1) Infection induces type I interferon (beta interferon [IFN-β]) production in differentiated Caco2 cells, which not only inhibits viral replication by blocking positive-strand viral RNA and capsid protein synthesis but also protects against HAstV-1-increased barrier permeability. Excitingly, we found similar results in vivo using a murine Astrovirus (MuAstV) model, providing new evidence that virus-induced type I IFNs may protect against Astrovirus replication and pathogenesis in vivo . IMPORTANCE Human Astroviruses are a major cause of pediatric diarrhea, yet little is known about the immune response. Here we show that type I interferon limits Astrovirus Infection and preserves barrier permeability both in vitro and in vivo . Importantly, we characterized a new mouse model for studying Astrovirus replication and pathogenesis.
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Induction and protective effect of innate interferons during human Astrovirus Infection (VIR1P.1003)
Journal of Immunology, 2014Co-Authors: Troy Cline, Teddy Huerta, Pamela Freiden, Nicole Fugate, Stacey Schultz-cherryAbstract:Members of the relatively new Astroviridae family are non-enveloped, single-stranded RNA viruses that cause diarrheal disease in a wide range species. Human Astroviruses, of which there are eight canonical strains, are a leading cause of gastroenteritis in children
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Astrovirus Infections in humans and animals – Molecular biology, genetic diversity, and interspecies transmissions
Infection genetics and evolution : journal of molecular epidemiology and evolutionary genetics in infectious diseases, 2011Co-Authors: Paola De Benedictis, Andrew J Burnham, Stacey Schultz-cherry, Giovanni CattoliAbstract:Astroviruses are small, non-enveloped, positive sense, single-stranded RNA viruses first identified in 1975 in children suffering from diarrhea and then described in a wide variety of animals. To date, the list of animal species susceptible to Astrovirus Infection has expanded to 22 animal species or families, including domestic, synantropic and wild animals, avian, and mammalian species in the terrestrial and aquatic environments. Astrovirus Infections are considered among the most common cause of gastroenteritis in children, second only to rotavirus Infections, but in animals their association with enteric diseases is not well documented, with the exception of turkey and mink Astrovirus Infection. Genetic variability has been described in almost all Astrovirus species sufficiently examined infecting mammals and birds; however, antigenic variability has been demonstrated for human Astroviruses but is far less investigated in animal viruses. Interestingly, there is an increasing evidence of recombination events occurring in Astroviruses, which contributes to increase the genetic variability of this group of viruses. A wide variety of species infected, the evident virus genetic diversity and the occurrence of recombination events indicate or imply either cross-species transmission and subsequent virus adaptation to new hosts or the co-Infection of the same host with different Astroviruses. This can also favor the emergence of novel Astroviruses infecting animals or with a zoonotic potential. After more than 30 years from their first description in humans, there are many exciting streams of research to be explored and intriguing questions that remain to be answered about the relatively under-studied Astroviridae family. In the present work, we will review the existing knowledge concerning Astrovirus Infections in humans and animals, with particular focus on the molecular biology, interspecies transmission and zoonotic potential of this group of viruses.
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Pathogenesis of Astrovirus Infection.
Viral immunology, 2005Co-Authors: Lindsey A. Moser, Stacey Schultz-cherryAbstract:Astroviruses are one of the leading causes of diarrhea worldwide. In spite of its impact on human health, little is known about Astrovirus pathogenesis. One reason for this may be the lack of a suitable small animal model for Infection. In recent years, there has been increasing information on the mechanism of Astrovirus-induced disease in mammals (including humans) and birds. This review summarizes our current state of knowledge on Astrovirus pathogenesis.
Giovanni Cattoli - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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prevalence and risk factors of Astrovirus Infection in puppies from french breeding kennels
Veterinary Microbiology, 2012Co-Authors: Aurélien Grellet, Marcella Pantile, Cristian De Battisti, Didier Grandjean, Sabrina Marciano, Alexandre Feugier, Giovanni CattoliAbstract:Abstract Aiming at determining the prevalence and the risk factors associated to Astrovirus Infection in puppy, fecal samples were collected in 316 puppies (age from 5 to 14 weeks of age) from 33 French breeding kennels. Data were registered for each puppy, including age, breed, gender, origin of the dog, and feces quality. The samples were tested by specific RT-PCR for the presence of canine Astrovirus. Astroviruses were identified in 20.9% (66/316) of the puppies and in 42% (14/33) of the breeding kennels. Young puppies (i.e.
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prevalence and risk factors of Astrovirus Infection in puppies from french breeding kennels
Veterinary Microbiology, 2012Co-Authors: Aurélien Grellet, Marcella Pantile, Cristian De Battisti, Sabrina Marciano, Alexandre Feugier, Dominique Grandjean, Giovanni CattoliAbstract:Aiming at determining the prevalence and the risk factors associated to Astrovirus Infection in puppy, fecal samples were collected in 316 puppies (age from 5 to 14 weeks of age) from 33 French breeding kennels. Data were registered for each puppy, including age, breed, gender, origin of the dog, and feces quality. The samples were tested by specific RT-PCR for the presence of canine Astrovirus. Astroviruses were identified in 20.9% (66/316) of the puppies and in 42% (14/33) of the breeding kennels. Young puppies (i.e. <7 weeks of age) and puppies from large breeding kennels were more likely to be infected by the Astrovirus. No association between the quality of feces and Astrovirus Infection could be determined in this survey.
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Astrovirus Infections in humans and animals molecular biology genetic diversity and interspecies transmissions
Infection Genetics and Evolution, 2011Co-Authors: Paola De Benedictis, Stacey Schultzcherry, Andrew J Burnham, Giovanni CattoliAbstract:Abstract Astroviruses are small, non-enveloped, positive sense, single-stranded RNA viruses first identified in 1975 in children suffering from diarrhea and then described in a wide variety of animals. To date, the list of animal species susceptible to Astrovirus Infection has expanded to 22 animal species or families, including domestic, synantropic and wild animals, avian, and mammalian species in the terrestrial and aquatic environments. Astrovirus Infections are considered among the most common cause of gastroenteritis in children, second only to rotavirus Infections, but in animals their association with enteric diseases is not well documented, with the exception of turkey and mink Astrovirus Infection. Genetic variability has been described in almost all Astrovirus species sufficiently examined infecting mammals and birds; however, antigenic variability has been demonstrated for human Astroviruses but is far less investigated in animal viruses. Interestingly, there is an increasing evidence of recombination events occurring in Astroviruses, which contributes to increase the genetic variability of this group of viruses. A wide variety of species infected, the evident virus genetic diversity and the occurrence of recombination events indicate or imply either cross-species transmission and subsequent virus adaptation to new hosts or the co-Infection of the same host with different Astroviruses. This can also favor the emergence of novel Astroviruses infecting animals or with a zoonotic potential. After more than 30 years from their first description in humans, there are many exciting streams of research to be explored and intriguing questions that remain to be answered about the relatively under-studied Astroviridae family. In the present work, we will review the existing knowledge concerning Astrovirus Infections in humans and animals, with particular focus on the molecular biology, interspecies transmission and zoonotic potential of this group of viruses.
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Astrovirus Infections in humans and animals – Molecular biology, genetic diversity, and interspecies transmissions
Infection genetics and evolution : journal of molecular epidemiology and evolutionary genetics in infectious diseases, 2011Co-Authors: Paola De Benedictis, Andrew J Burnham, Stacey Schultz-cherry, Giovanni CattoliAbstract:Astroviruses are small, non-enveloped, positive sense, single-stranded RNA viruses first identified in 1975 in children suffering from diarrhea and then described in a wide variety of animals. To date, the list of animal species susceptible to Astrovirus Infection has expanded to 22 animal species or families, including domestic, synantropic and wild animals, avian, and mammalian species in the terrestrial and aquatic environments. Astrovirus Infections are considered among the most common cause of gastroenteritis in children, second only to rotavirus Infections, but in animals their association with enteric diseases is not well documented, with the exception of turkey and mink Astrovirus Infection. Genetic variability has been described in almost all Astrovirus species sufficiently examined infecting mammals and birds; however, antigenic variability has been demonstrated for human Astroviruses but is far less investigated in animal viruses. Interestingly, there is an increasing evidence of recombination events occurring in Astroviruses, which contributes to increase the genetic variability of this group of viruses. A wide variety of species infected, the evident virus genetic diversity and the occurrence of recombination events indicate or imply either cross-species transmission and subsequent virus adaptation to new hosts or the co-Infection of the same host with different Astroviruses. This can also favor the emergence of novel Astroviruses infecting animals or with a zoonotic potential. After more than 30 years from their first description in humans, there are many exciting streams of research to be explored and intriguing questions that remain to be answered about the relatively under-studied Astroviridae family. In the present work, we will review the existing knowledge concerning Astrovirus Infections in humans and animals, with particular focus on the molecular biology, interspecies transmission and zoonotic potential of this group of viruses.
Matthew D. Koci - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Oral Administration of Astrovirus Capsid Protein Is Sufficient To Induce Acute Diarrhea In Vivo
American Society for Microbiology, 2016Co-Authors: Victoria A. Meliopoulos, Pamela Freiden, Shauna A. Marvin, Prashant K. Nighot, Rizwana Ali, Anthony T. Blikslager, Lindsey A. Moser, Muralidhar Reddivari, Richard J. Heath, Matthew D. KociAbstract:The disease mechanisms associated with the onset of Astrovirus diarrhea are unknown. Unlike other enteric virus Infections, Astrovirus Infection is not associated with an inflammatory response or cellular damage. In vitro studies in differentiated Caco-2 cells demonstrated that human Astrovirus serotype 1 (HAstV-1) capsid protein alone disrupts the actin cytoskeleton and tight junction complex, leading to increased epithelial barrier permeability. In this study, we show that oral administration of purified recombinant turkey Astrovirus 2 (TAstV-2) capsid protein results in acute diarrhea in a dose- and time-dependent manner in turkey poults. Similarly to that induced by infectious virus, TAstV-2 capsid-induced diarrhea was independent of inflammation or histological changes but was associated with increased intestinal barrier permeability, as well as redistribution of sodium hydrogen exchanger 3 (NHE3) from the membrane to the cytoplasm of the intestinal epithelium. Unlike other viral enterotoxins that have been identified, Astrovirus capsid induces diarrhea after oral administration, reproducing the natural route of Infection and demonstrating that ingestion of intact noninfectious capsid protein may be sufficient to provoke acute diarrhea. Based on these data, we hypothesize that the Astrovirus capsid acts like an enterotoxin and induces intestinal epithelial barrier dysfunction
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Characterization of turkey inducible nitric oxide synthase and identification of its expression in the intestinal epithelium following Astrovirus Infection
Comparative immunology microbiology and infectious diseases, 2011Co-Authors: R. Ryan Meyerhoff, Prashant K. Nighot, Rizwana Ali, Anthony T. Blikslager, Matthew D. KociAbstract:The inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) enzyme has long been recognized as a key mediator of innate immune responses to infectious diseases across the phyla. Its role in killing or inactivating bacterial, parasitic, and viral pathogens has been documented in numerous host systems. iNOS, and its innate immune mediator NO has also been described to have negative consequence on host tissues as well; therefore understanding the pathogenesis of any infectious agent which induces iNOS expression requires a better understanding of the role iNOS and NO play in that disease. Previous studies in our laboratory and others have demonstrated evidence for increased levels of iNOS and activity of its innate immune mediator NO in the intestine of turkeys infected with Astrovirus. To begin to characterize the role iNOS plays in the innate immune response to Astrovirus Infection, we identified, characterized, developed tkiNOS specific reagents, and demonstrated that the intestinal epithelial cells induce expression of iNOS following Astrovirus Infection. These data are the first to our knowledge to describe the tkiNOS gene, and demonstrate that Astrovirus Infection induces intestinal epithelial cells to express iNOS, suggesting these cells play a key role in the antiviral response to enteric Infections.
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Astrovirus Infection induces sodium malabsorption and redistributes sodium hydrogen exchanger expression
Virology, 2010Co-Authors: Prashant K. Nighot, Adam J. Moeser, Rizwana Ali, Anthony T. Blikslager, Matthew D. KociAbstract:Astroviruses are known to be a leading cause of diarrhea in infants and the immunocompromised; however, our understanding of this endemic pathogen is limited. Histological analyses of Astrovirus pathogenesis demonstrate clinical disease is not associated with changes to intestinal architecture, inflammation, or cell death. Recent studies in vitro have suggested that Astroviruses induce actin rearrangement leading to loss of barrier function. The current study used the type-2 turkey Astrovirus (TAstV-2) and turkey poult model of Astrovirus disease to examine how Astrovirus Infection affects the ultrastructure and electrophysiology of the intestinal epithelium. These data demonstrate that Infection results in changes to the epithelial ultrastructure, rearrangement of F-actin, decreased absorption of sodium, as well as redistribution of the sodium/hydrogen exchanger 3 (NHE3) from the membrane to the cytoplasm. Collectively, these data suggest Astrovirus Infection induces sodium malabsorption, possibly through redistribution of specific sodium transporters, which results in the development of an osmotic diarrhea.
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Immunity and resistance to Astrovirus Infection.
Viral immunology, 2005Co-Authors: Matthew D. KociAbstract:Astroviruses are one of the leading causes of acute viral enteritis in infants, and are recognized as a clinically important pathogen in the elderly and the immunocompromised. In spite of this, we ...
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Astrovirus-Induced Synthesis of Nitric Oxide Contributes to Virus Control during Infection
Journal of virology, 2004Co-Authors: Matthew D. Koci, Laura A. Kelley, Diane Larsen, Stacey Schultz-cherryAbstract:Astroviruses were first identified in infants with diarrhea in 1975 by Madeley and Cosgrove (C. R. Madeley and B. P. Cosgrove, Letter, Lancet ii:451-452, 1975) and are now recognized as one of the leading causes of childhood diarrhea worldwide. By the age of five, 90% of children have antibodies against Astroviruses (17, 25). In addition to their endemic nature, Astroviruses also cause outbreaks of enteritis in schools, geriatric care facilities, children's hospitals, and in immunocompromised individuals (25). In fact, the elderly and the immunocompromised, such as AIDS patients, represent an expanding demographic of Astrovirus disease (30). Astroviruses are transmitted mainly through a fecal-oral route (24). The virus typically has an incubation period of 1 to 4 days and causes an acute gastroenteritis which lasts approximately 4 days (9). Diarrhea is the most common symptom; however, vomiting, abdominal distention, and dehydration can occur (25). Much of what is known about Astrovirus-mediated disease comes from epidemiological studies involving routine surveillance for enteric disease agents, following outbreaks, and serologic studies. Observational data from human samples and serological surveys suggest that antibodies are the key mediators of protection (18). However, there is nothing known about the role of the innate or cellular immune responses in Astrovirus resistance. This is due to the lack of a small-animal model for Astrovirus Infection. We developed a small-animal model using turkey Astrovirus type-2 (North Carolina/034/1999) (TAstV-2) to study the mechanisms of viral pathogenesis and immune protection (3, 14, 16). Using young turkeys, we defined the replication, kinetics, and pathogenesis of Astrovirus Infection. We demonstrated that Astrovirus replicated in the intestines with viral titers peaking between days 3 and 5 and dissipating by day 9 postinoculation. Viral antigen was detected in nonintestinal tissues, and infectious virus was isolated from these tissues and blood, primarily between 3 to 5 days postInfection (dpi), indicating viral spread was systemic, although viral replication was only detected in the intestine (3, 14). In these studies, we examined the role of the adaptive and innate immune responses in the control and clearance of Astrovirus Infection using the turkey model. Our results demonstrated that T-cell populations and virus-specific antibodies (Abs) were not substantially altered in response to TAstV-2 Infection. However, virus Infection induced macrophage (Mφ) production of nitric oxide (NO), and NO suppressed viral replication during Infection. This is the first experimental evidence of an interaction between Astrovirus and Mφs and demonstrates a potentially significant role for innate immunity in primary Astrovirus Infection.
Stephan S Monroe - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Gastroenteritis Viruses: Novartis Foundation Symposium 238 - Molecular Epidemiology of Human Astroviruses
Novartis Foundation symposium, 2008Co-Authors: Stephan S Monroe, Jennifer L. Holmes, Gaël BelliotAbstract:Publisher Summary Astroviruses were first detected by electron microscopy and the original assays for typing human Astrovirus strains employed time-consuming immune electron microscopy or cell-culture neutralization tests. The development of enzyme immunoassays for detecting human Astroviruses greatly simplified the characterization of strains and provided confirmation of the earlier studies indicating that serotype 1 (HAstV-1) is most common, accounting for over half of all strains detected. The further development of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays for detecting human Astroviruses allowed for more detailed characterization of Astrovirus strains by analysis of nucleotide sequence information. The increasing application of genetic comparisons for the characterization of Astrovirus strains has provided interesting molecular insights into the epidemiology of Astrovirus Infection. The recent application of molecular diagnostic assays has firmly established that Astroviruses are associated with 5 to 8% of acute gastroenteritis in young children. It is not yet clear to what extent heterotypic protection is induced by a primary Astrovirus Infection. Continued monitoring of Astrovirus strains will be useful to detect regional shifts in the predominant genotypes in circulation or the emergence of new genotypes.
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molecular epidemiology of childhood Astrovirus Infection in child care centers
The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 1999Co-Authors: Douglas K Mitchell, David O Matson, Xi Jiang, Tamas Berke, Stephan S Monroe, Michael J Carter, Margaret M Willcocks, Larry K PickeringAbstract:This study assessed the role of human Astrovirus (HAstV) in outbreaks and sporadic cases of diarrhea among children attending child care centers (CCCs) and determined the infecting Astrovirus antigenic types by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and sequence analysis. Eight Astrovirus outbreaks occurred in 6 CCCs. Of 179 children with diarrhea, 36 (20%) had Astrovirus-associated diarrhea. Diarrhea stools obtained during diarrhea outbreaks were more likely to contain Astrovirus (40/476) than were samples not associated with a diarrhea outbreak (14/452) (P<.001). Type-specific RT-PCR and DNA sequencing identified 5 outbreaks associated with HAstV-1 and 3 outbreaks with HAstV-2. Sequential outbreaks in 2 CCCs occurred with a different type in the same year. Phylogenetic analysis identified 6 clades of HAstV-1 and 2 clades of HAstV-2 during this 1-year surveillance. Astrovirus was a significant cause of diarrhea outbreaks, and 2 antigenic types were present in the community during 1 diarrhea season.
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Molecular Epidemiology of Childhood Astrovirus Infection in Child Care Centers
The Journal of infectious diseases, 1999Co-Authors: Douglas K Mitchell, David O Matson, Xi Jiang, Tamas Berke, Stephan S Monroe, Michael J Carter, Margaret M Willcocks, Larry K PickeringAbstract:This study assessed the role of human Astrovirus (HAstV) in outbreaks and sporadic cases of diarrhea among children attending child care centers (CCCs) and determined the infecting Astrovirus antigenic types by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and sequence analysis. Eight Astrovirus outbreaks occurred in 6 CCCs. Of 179 children with diarrhea, 36 (20%) had Astrovirus-associated diarrhea. Diarrhea stools obtained during diarrhea outbreaks were more likely to contain Astrovirus (40/476) than were samples not associated with a diarrhea outbreak (14/452) (P
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Astrovirus Infection in association with acute persistent and nosocomial diarrhea in bangladesh
Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, 1998Co-Authors: Leanne Unicomb, Jacqueline S. Noel, N. N. Banu, Tasnim Azim, Asma Islam, Pradip Kumar Bardhan, A. S. G. Faruque, Andrew J. Hall, Christine L. Moe, Stephan S MonroeAbstract:Background. Diarrhea is an important public health concern in developing countries such as Bangladesh. Diarrhea in children that persists for 14 days or more occurs in 7% of patients in Bangladesh and frequently results in death. Astrovirus has been demonstrated as a cause of acute and nosocomial diarrhea and can be excreted for prolonged periods, yet its importance as a cause of diarrhea among children in a developing country like Bangladesh has not been investigated. Methods. We tested 629 stool specimens from patients with acute diarrhea, 153 from patients with persistent diarrhea, 175 specimens from 76 patients hospitalized for diarrhea who were sampled repeatedly to detect nosocomial Infection and 428 from nonhospitalized healthy children (controls). All children enrolled in the study were <5 years of age. Astrovirus was detected by enzyme immunoassay and other enteropathogens were detected by standard techniques. Results. The detection of Astrovirus increased significantly with the duration of diarrhea. Astrovirus was found in 23 (15%) specimens from patients with persistent diarrhea, 26 (4%) patients with acute diarrhea, but only 8 (2%) healthy controls. This trend remained when we limited our analysis to infants <12 months of age and to episodes in which Astrovirus was the sole pathogen. Among patients with nosocomial diarrhea, 16% of postadmission specimens were positive for Astrovirus when the admission specimen was negative. Conclusion. The observation that Astrovirus is detected more frequently with diarrhea of increasing duration suggests the need for further studies to determine whether Astrovirus plays a causative role in persistent diarrhea or is a secondary agent.
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Prevalence of Astrovirus Infection among Chilean Children with Acute Gastroenteritis
Journal of clinical microbiology, 1998Co-Authors: Aldo Gaggero, Stephan S Monroe, Miguel O'ryan, Jacqueline S. Noel, Roger I. Glass, Nora Mamani, Valeria Prado, Luis F. AvendañoAbstract:The frequency of Astrovirus Infection in 456 Chilean children with diarrhea was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, reverse transcriptase PCR, and cell culture. Astrovirus was detected in 16.5% of rotavirus-negative and 7% of rotavirus-positive samples obtained from emergency rooms or hospitals and in 11% of samples from day care centers. HAst-1 was the predominant serotype identified.
Aurélien Grellet - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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prevalence and risk factors of Astrovirus Infection in puppies from french breeding kennels
Veterinary Microbiology, 2012Co-Authors: Aurélien Grellet, Marcella Pantile, Cristian De Battisti, Didier Grandjean, Sabrina Marciano, Alexandre Feugier, Giovanni CattoliAbstract:Abstract Aiming at determining the prevalence and the risk factors associated to Astrovirus Infection in puppy, fecal samples were collected in 316 puppies (age from 5 to 14 weeks of age) from 33 French breeding kennels. Data were registered for each puppy, including age, breed, gender, origin of the dog, and feces quality. The samples were tested by specific RT-PCR for the presence of canine Astrovirus. Astroviruses were identified in 20.9% (66/316) of the puppies and in 42% (14/33) of the breeding kennels. Young puppies (i.e.
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prevalence and risk factors of Astrovirus Infection in puppies from french breeding kennels
Veterinary Microbiology, 2012Co-Authors: Aurélien Grellet, Marcella Pantile, Cristian De Battisti, Sabrina Marciano, Alexandre Feugier, Dominique Grandjean, Giovanni CattoliAbstract:Aiming at determining the prevalence and the risk factors associated to Astrovirus Infection in puppy, fecal samples were collected in 316 puppies (age from 5 to 14 weeks of age) from 33 French breeding kennels. Data were registered for each puppy, including age, breed, gender, origin of the dog, and feces quality. The samples were tested by specific RT-PCR for the presence of canine Astrovirus. Astroviruses were identified in 20.9% (66/316) of the puppies and in 42% (14/33) of the breeding kennels. Young puppies (i.e. <7 weeks of age) and puppies from large breeding kennels were more likely to be infected by the Astrovirus. No association between the quality of feces and Astrovirus Infection could be determined in this survey.
