Prevalence of astrovirus, adenovirus, sapovirus infections among Iranian children with acute gastroenteritis

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Human Astroviruses (HAstVs), enteric Adenoviruses (HAdVs), and
Sapoviruses (SaVs) in acute diarrhea patients, as well as their relation to age, sex, and season.

Acute gastroenteritis is one of the most common diseases affecting children <5 years old and viral agents with
approximately >75% are the major causative agent of acute infectious diarrhea. After Rotavirus and Norovirus, the greater viral
agents of acute gastroenteritis include HAstVs, HAdVs, and SaVs. To the best of our knowledge, there are sparse studies in Iran
detecting at least three enteric viruses as causative agents of diarrhea simultaneously.

The sample was collected from children referring to pediatric medical centers in Tehran, Iran; they were tested for
Astrovirus, enteric Adenovirus, and Sapovirus by conventional PCR method. The association of incidence of viral enteric agents was
evaluated with age, sex and seasonal pattern in children <5 years old.

The positive case number among acute gastroenteritis patients was 17/120 (14.1%). Patients ranged in age within 1–60
months, but 52.9% were aged ≤ 12 months. Males comprised the majority (70.6), and the male: female ratio was 2.4. HAstV was the
most frequently detected virus (6.7%), while SaVs were detected only in 2.5% of cases. Mixed infections were not detected in these
samples. The highest rate of HAstV was identified in winter (66.7%), HAdV in fall (66.7%), and SaV in winter (33.3%).

These findings underscore the importance of monitoring the epidemiology of HAstV, HAdV, and SaV as causative
agents of viral diarrhea infections.