Astroviruses are a minor cause of pediatric gastroenteritis in Blantyre, Malawi, but concomitant HIV infection is associated with increased disease severity.
Astrovirus remains a minor cause of pediatric gastroenteritis; HIV coinfection association is hypothesis-generating and requires prospective confirmation.
In a 2-year hospital-based study of paediatric gastroenteritis in Blantyre, Malawi, astroviruses were detected by enzyme immunoassay in 15 (1.9%) of 786 inpatients and in 9 (2.3%) of 400 outpatients. Greater disease severity was noted in children coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Six human astrovirus (HAstV) genotypes were identified, including HAstV-1 (25%), HAstV-2 (21%), HAstV-3 (25%), HAstV-4 (13%), HAstV-5 (4%), and HAstV-8 (13%). Although astroviruses are not major causes of gastroenteritis among children admitted to hospital in Blantyre, concomitant HIV infection appears to be a risk factor for increased severity of disease.
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Cunliffe et al. (2002) studied this question.
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