Abstract
Human astrovirus (HAstV) is one of the common causes of acute gastroenteritis in children. The investigation of molecular epidemiology of HAstV is essential for monitoring the emergence and/or re-emergence of new HAstV genotypes, as well as understanding the evolution of HAstV circulating in children suffering from acute gastroenteritis. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence and distribution of HAstVs strains circulating in children hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis in Chiang Mai, Thailand during 2017–2020. A total of 1500 fecal specimens collected from children with acute gastroenteritis were screened for HAstV by RT-PCR that targeted the partial RdRp in ORF1b and strains were characterized by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. Of the 1500 fecal samples, 39 (2.6%) were positive for HAstV. Of these, both classic and novel HAstV genotypes, including classic HAstV1–HAstV5, novel HAstV-MLB1, MLB2, and HAstV-VA2, were detected. The data in this study revealed a high divergence of HAstV genotypes circulating in pediatric patients admitted to the hospitals with acute gastroenteritis in Chiang Mai, Thailand during 2017–2020.
Highlights
The molecular epidemiology study of Human astrovirus (HAstV) in Chiang Mai, Thailand during 2000–2016 reported the detections of classic HAstV1, HAstV4, HAstV5, HAstV8, novel HAstV-MLB1, MLB2, and novel HAstV-VA2 in pediatric patients with acute g astroenteritis[12,13]
In South America, the prevalence of HAstV infection in Brazil was reported with low infection rate at 0.8% 17, whereas in North America a prevalence was reported at 3.5% in Mexico[18]
In Africa, a prevalence of HAstV infection was reported at 7.0% in South Africa19, 9.9% in Kenya and Gambia3, 10.3% in Congo20, 11–14% in Egypt[21,22], and 19.4% in Nigeria[23]
Summary
The molecular epidemiology study of HAstV in Chiang Mai, Thailand during 2000–2016 reported the detections of classic HAstV1, HAstV4, HAstV5, HAstV8, novel HAstV-MLB1, MLB2, and novel HAstV-VA2 in pediatric patients with acute g astroenteritis[12,13]. The aim of this study was to conduct a follow-up surveillance to monitoring the HAstV genotypes circulating in children admitted to the hospitals with acute gastroenteritis in Chiang Mai, Thailand during 2017–2020
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