Epidemiología molecular de subgrupos y serotipos de rotavirus en niños menores de cuatro años de la ciudad de Maracaibo con síndrome diarreico.

Between november 1989 and january 1991, two hundred stool samples were obtained from children under 4 years of age, hospitalized with diarrhea. Sixty stool samples from apparently healthy children were used as controls. Rotavirus infections were diagnosed in 28 (14%) specimens using two enzyme immunoassays, (Abbott Laboratories' kit and monoclonal antibodies). PAGE, ELISA and PCR were used to determine electropherotypes, subgroups and serotypes respectively. The study of electropherotypes detected two migration patterns: a short one in 4 samples (14.3%) and a long pattern in 16 cases (57.1%). These results were verified by a specific subgroup monoclonal antibodies ELISA. The polymerase chain reaction showed that serotype 1 accounted for 46.4% of positive samples, while serotypes 3 and 4 present in 3.6% and 7.4% of the specimens respectively. Serotype 2 was not detected and 42.8% samples were untypable. Males between 0 and 12 months of age were the most affected. There was no correlation between human rotavirus serotypes, subgroups and electropherotypes, and age of the patients. All detected genetic variants were present in children under two years of age.