Molecular detection of human parechovirus type 1 in stool samples from children with diarrhea

BACKGROUND: Human parechovirus type 1 (HPeV-1) appears to be associated with gastrointestinal and respiratory infections, and occasionally with central nervous system symptoms. Since there is no accurate information about the incidence and epidemiology of HPeV-1 in Iran, this study was designed to describe the frequency of HPeV-1 in stool samples from children under 4 years of age with gastroenteritis. METHODS: RNA was isolated from stool suspensions and cDNA was prepared and amplified using a specific nested reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR). We also compared this RT-PCR method with a cell culture procedure. RESULTS: Out of 472 samples, 112 (23.7%) were HPeV-1-positive. The incidence and prevalence of this virus was highest in children under 1 year old with diarrhea (p=0.036), and was higher in the spring and autumn than in summer and winter (p<0.001). More males than females were HPeV-1-positive (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first systematic study of the incidence and epidemiology of HPeV-1 among children with acute gastroenteritis in Iran. The results revealed that RT-PCR is a more practical, sensitive, and rapid technique for the detection of HPeV-1 directly from clinical samples than cell culture, which makes this a valuable method for epidemiology. Also, the rapid detection of virus can decrease both the unnecessary use of antibiotics and costs in clinical practice.