Prevalence and Paraclinical Findings of Adenovirus-Associated Diarrhea in Children in Qom, Iran

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Diarrhea in Children in Qom, IranBackground and Aim: Enteric adenoviruses (AdV) are significant viral agents responsible for acute gastroenteritis in children.Despite various reports on their prevalence in Iran, no study has been conducted in Qom Province, Iran.This study aimed to determine the prevalence of AdV in children with acute gastroenteritis at Hazrat-e Fateme Masoumeh Hospital in Qom Province and investigate its association with demographic and paraclinical characteristics. Materials and Methods:This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted on 199 children with acute gastroenteritis between winter 2016 and summer 2017.Demographic data and antibiotic use history were collected via questionnaire.Stool samples were analyzed for AdV antigen using an ELISA assay.Blood samples were tested for inflammatory markers (white blood cells [WBC] count, polymorphonuclear [PMN] percentage, C-reactive protein [CRP], and erythrocyte sedimentation rate [ESR]).Data were analyzed using SAS, version 9.2, with independent t-tests, chi-square, and Fisher's exact tests.Results: Of the 199 children studied, 13(6.5%)tested positive for AdV antigen.The mean patient age was 34.7 months, and 59.3% were male.No significant differences were observed between AdV-positive and AdV-negative groups regarding age (P=0.58),sex (P=0.06),prior antibiotic use (P=0.76),WBC count (P=0.98),PMN percentage (P=0.51),CRP level (P=0.68),ESR (P=0.68), or the presence of RBC (P=0.69) and WBC (P=0.38) in stool.Seasonal patterns and regional distribution of cases also showed no significant differences between the two groups.Conclusion: The prevalence of adenovirus among children with acute gastroenteritis in Qom Province was 6.5%.None of the baseline characteristics or routine laboratory parameters could differentiate between AdV-associated gastroenteritis and that caused by other pathogens.This finding underscores the importance of preventive vaccination and the need for more specific diagnostic methods to identify causative agents.