Optimization of diagnostic EM for enteric viruses

Abstract

Virus identification by negative stain electron microscopy (EM) is one of the most versatile and sensitive assays for rapid viral diagnosis. Electron microscopy is particularly important for the study of enteric viruses because they are difficult to cultivate and characterize. The gastroenteritis viruses most frequently identified include rotavirus (Fig. 1), enteric adenovirus (Fig. 2), enteric coronavirus (Fig. 3), calicivirus (Fig. 4), Norwalk agent, and astrovirus (Fig. 6). In addition, there are several unclassified viruses categorized as either small round structured viruses (Fig. 5) or small round viruses (Fig. 7).