Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Clin Infect Dis 2019 Feb 16. Epub 2019 Feb 16.

Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research, Harare, Zimbabwe.

Background: Oral vaccines have lower efficacy in developing compared to developed countries. Poor water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) may contribute to reduced oral vaccine immunogenicity.

Methods: We conducted a cluster-randomized 2x2 factorial trial in rural Zimbabwe (NCT01824940). Read More

Vaccine 2019 Feb 9. Epub 2019 Feb 9.

Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Background: Ontario implemented a publicly-funded rotavirus (RV) immunization program in 2011. Our objectives were to evaluate its impact on hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits for acute gastroenteritis (AGE) five years after implementation.

Methods: We performed a population-based longitudinal retrospective cohort study to identify hospitalizations and ED visits for RV-AGE and overall AGE in all age groups using ICD-10 codes between August 1, 2005 and March 31, 2016. Read More

Indian Pediatr 2018 Dec;55(12):1066-1074

Advisory Committee on Vaccines and Immunization Practices (ACVIP), Indian Academy of Pediatrics, India.

Justification: There is a need to revise/review recommendations regarding existing vaccines in view of current developments in vaccinology.

Process: Advisory Committee on Vaccines and Immunization Practices (ACVIP) of Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) reviewed the new evidence, had two meetings, and representatives of few vaccine manufacturers also presented their data. The recommendations were finalized unanimously. Read More

Water Res 2019 Apr 1;153:349-356. Epub 2019 Feb 1.

Department of Paediatrics, University of Alberta, 1405-87 Ave, Edmonton, AB, T6G 1C9, Canada.

The prevalence and seasonal variation of 7 viruses in 6 major rivers in Alberta were assessed using a combination of qPCR, cell culture and integrated cell culture with qPCR (ICC-qPCR). Water samples were collected monthly from rivers at different sites upstream and downstream of major urban centers. Seven viruses including rotavirus, adenovirus, astrovirus, norovirus, sapovirus, JC virus and enterovirus, were detected in at least one of the water samples at each site using qPCR. Read More

Intest Res 2019 Feb 8. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

Department of Gastroenterology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

Background/aims: The onset of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) usually occurs at young age, and therefore, women IBD patients experience pregnancy during their disease progression. Recently, the use of anti-tumor necrosis factor-α (anti-TNF-α) has been rapidly increasing. The aim of this study was to evaluate pregnancy related outcomes in women with IBD who were treated with anti-TNF-α during pregnancy and immunity of their children. Read More

J Med Virol 2019 Jan 27. Epub 2019 Jan 27.

Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.

Objective: The main aims of the present study were to elucidate the systemic group A rotavirus (RVA) infection and to clarify the genetic changes of persistent virus in the X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) patient.

Methods: RotaTeq vaccine (RV5) genotype-specific real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was used to monitor viral RNA load in serially collected serum and stool samples. Next-generation sequence analysis was used to determine the genotype of the virus by sequencing 11 gene segments. Read More

Pediatrics 2019 Jan 17. Epub 2019 Jan 17.

Division of Viral Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.

Background: Rotavirus vaccines (RVVs) were included in the US immunization program in 2006 and are coadministered with the diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine, yet their coverage lags behind DTaP. We assessed timing, initiation, and completion of the RVV series among children enrolled in active gastroenteritis surveillance at 7 US medical institutions during 2014-2016.

Methods: We compared coverage and timing of each vaccine series and analyzed characteristics associated with RVV initiation and completion. Read More

BMC Public Health 2019 Jan 15;19(1):69. Epub 2019 Jan 15.

Division of Gastrointestinal Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India.

Background: In 2016, the Government of India introduced the oral rotavirus vaccine (ROTAVAC, Bharat Biotech, India) in 4 states of India as part of the Universal Immunization Programme, and expanded to 5 more states in 2017. We report four years of data on rotavirus gastroenteritis in hospitalized children < 5 years of age prior to vaccine introduction.

Methods: Children from 7 sites in southern and northern India hospitalized for diarrhoea were recruited between July 2012 and June 2016. Read More

Infect Drug Resist 2019 24;12:55-64. Epub 2018 Dec 24.

Grupo de Investigación en Genética, Vacunas, Infecciones y Pediatría (GENVIP), Instituto de Investigaciones Sanitarias (IDIS), Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (SERGAS), Galicia, Spain,

The landscape of rotavirus (RV) infection has changed substantially in recent years. Autoimmune triggering has been added to clinical spectrum of this pathology, which is now known to be much broader than diarrhea. The impact of RV vaccines in these other conditions is becoming a growing field of research. Read More

An Pediatr (Barc) 2019 Jan;90(1):56.e1-56.e9

Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, España; Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Pediatría, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, España.

The Advisory Committee on Vaccines of the Spanish Association of Paediatrics annually publishes the immunisation schedule considered optimal for children resident in Spain, according to available evidence on current vaccines. As regards funded immunisations, the 2+1 strategy (2, 4, 11 months) with hexavalent (DTPa-IPV-Hib-HB) and 13-valent pneumococcal vaccines are recommended. Administration of the 6-year booster dose with DTPa is recommended, with a poliomyelitis dose for children who had received the 2+1 scheme, as well as Tdap vaccine for adolescents and pregnant women in every pregnancy between 27 and 32 weeks gestation. Read More

Minerva Pediatr 2019 Jan 2. Epub 2019 Jan 2.

Citoimmunodiagnostics Laboratory, Department of Public Health and Pediatric Sciences, Medical School, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.

Background: Gastroenteritis is a common disease in children, characterized by diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and fever. Co-detection of HBoV with other gastroenteric viruses was reported a lot in patients with acute gastroenteritis.

Methods: This paper presents the real-time RT-PCR Taqman assay for the detection and quantification of HBoV for clinical fecal samples collected from hospitalized children with acute gastroenteritis in Piedmont. Read More

Clin Infect Dis 2018 Dec 23. Epub 2018 Dec 23.

Division of Viral Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.

Background: Rotavirus is a leading cause of mortality among children <5 years old. Zimbabwe introduced rotavirus vaccine in May 2014. We evaluated monovalent rotavirus vaccine effectiveness (VE) under conditions of routine use at two surveillance sites in Harare, Zimbabwe. Read More

Pediatrics 2019 Jan;143(1)

Emmes Corporation, Rockville, Maryland.

: media-1vid110.1542/5849573989001PEDS-VA_2018-1565 BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: (SA) is the second leading cause of late-onset sepsis among infants in the NICU. Because colonization of nasal mucosa and/or skin frequently precedes invasive infection, decolonization strategies, such as mupirocin application, have been attempted to prevent clinical infection, but data supporting this approach in infants are limited. Read More

J Med Virol 2018 Dec 20. Epub 2018 Dec 20.

Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon.

Norovirus is a common cause of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) among children in developing countries. Limited data on the prevalence and genetic variability of norovirus are available in Cameroon, where early childhood mortality due to AGE is common. We tested 902 fecal specimens from children younger than 5 years of age hospitalized with AGE between January 2010 and December 2013. Read More

Clin Infect Dis 2018 Dec 18. Epub 2018 Dec 18.

Centre for Global Vaccine Research, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.

Background: Histo-blood-group-antigen (HBGA) Lewis/secretor phenotypes are associated with susceptibility to genotype-specific rotavirus gastroenteritis (RVGE). We tested the hypothesis that non-secretor/Lewis negative phenotype leads to reduced vaccine virus replication, IgA response and clinical protection following vaccination with G1P[8] rotavirus vaccine (RV1) in Malawian infants.

Methods: Infants receiving RV1 at age six and ten weeks were recruited to a cohort study. Read More

Acta Paediatr 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Vaccine Research Center, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland.

Aim: This study examined the prevalence and clinical significance of the sapovirus infection in children with acute gastroenteritis before and after the introduction of the rotavirus vaccination in Finland in 2009.

Methods: We collected 1437 stool samples from children under 16 years during three prospective hospital-based surveillance studies of acute gastroenteritis at Tampere University Hospital, Finland. The children were seen in the emergency department (47%) or admitted to the ward (53%). Read More

J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc 2018 Dec 9. Epub 2018 Dec 9.

Division of Clinical Immunology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden.

Background: Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the fucosyltransferase genes FUT2 and FUT3 have been associated with susceptibility to various infectious and inflammatory disorders. FUT variations influence the expression of human histo-blood group antigens (HBGAs) (H-type 1 and Lewis), which are highly expressed in the gut and play an important role in microbial attachment, metabolism, colonization, and shaping of the microbiome. In particular, FUT polymorphisms confer susceptibility to specific rotavirus and norovirus genotypes, which has important global health implications. Read More

Acta Paediatr 2018 Dec 2. Epub 2018 Dec 2.

Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.

Aim: This study evaluated the introduction of rotavirus vaccination in Jönköping County, Sweden, starting in 2014. This project explored the parental factors that influenced the decision to vaccinate and studied the obtained vaccination coverage and its potential influence on hospital admissions due to acute gastroenteritis.

Methods: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study based on a study-specific questionnaire (n = 356) and regional statistical data on vaccination coverage and hospital admissions in Jönköping County, Sweden. Read More

Epidemiol Infect 2018 Dec 3:1-5. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

Parasitology, Department of Food Safety and Infection Biology,Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences,PO Box 369 Sentrum, 0102 Oslo,Norway.

Although the impact of diarrhoeal disease on paediatric health in Nigeria has decreased in recent years, it remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality in children under 5 years. Rotavirus is recognised as an important aetiological agent, but information on the contribution of intestinal protozoa to watery diarrhoea in this age group in Nigeria is scarce. In this cross-sectional study, faecal samples from children admitted to healthcare centres in Abakaliki, Nigeria with acute watery diarrhoea (N = 199) and faecal samples from age-matched controls (N = 37) were examined for Cryptosporidium and Giardia using immunofluorescent antibody testing and molecular methods. Read More

BMC Pediatr 2018 Nov 30;18(1):376. Epub 2018 Nov 30.

Department of Pediatrics, Chonbuk National University Medical School, 20, Geonjiro Deokjin-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeollabuk-do, 54907, South Korea.

Background: Rotavirus (RV) infection in neonates can be mild or even asymptomatic. In RV infection, jaundice is often reported, but the relationship between jaundice and RV infection has not been studied. This study aimed to determine the importance of asymptomatic RV screening in neonates with jaundice. Read More

Zhonghua Er Ke Za Zhi 2018 Dec;56(12):945-949

Graduate School, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China.

To investigate the relationship between human bocavirus 2 (HBoV2) infection and acute diarrhea in children younger than 5 years of age in a case-control study. This was a prospective case-control study. During May 2016 to December 2016, fecal specimens were collected from children ≤5 years of age with acute diarrhea who visited the Affiliated Children's Hospital of Capital Institute of Pediatrics (case group), or from children ≤5 years of age without diarrhea from Longtan Community Medical Service Center, Beijing (control group). Read More

Turk J Pediatr 2018 ;60(3):290-297

Departments of Social Pediatrics, Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.

Çataklı T, Duyan-Çamurdan A, Aksakal-Baran FN, Güven AE, Beyazova U. Attitudes of physicians concerning vaccines not included in the national immunization schedule. Turk J Pediatr 2018; 60: 290-297. Read More

Nat Commun 2018 11 27;9(1):5010. Epub 2018 Nov 27.

Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, 77030, TX, USA.

Neonatal rotavirus infections are predominantly asymptomatic. While an association with gastrointestinal symptoms has been described in some settings, factors influencing differences in clinical presentation are not well understood. Using multidisciplinary approaches, we show that a complex interplay between human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), milk microbiome, and infant gut microbiome impacts neonatal rotavirus infections. Read More

N Engl J Med 2018 11;379(21):2015-2026

From the Sections of Pediatric Emergency Medicine and Gastroenterology, Alberta Children's Hospital, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute (S.B.F.), and the Section of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Alberta Children's Hospital (S.W.-U., J.X.), Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, the Departments of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, University of Ottawa, Ottawa (K.J.F.), the Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, Montreal (S.G.), Ontario Child Health Support Unit, SickKids Research Institute, the Division of Biostatistics, Dalla Lana School of Public Health (A.R.W.), the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (P.M.S.), the Divisions of Pediatric Emergency Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology (Y.F.), and the Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine and Research Institute (S.S.), Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, the Division of Emergency Medicine, London Health Sciences Centre, Department of Pediatrics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON (N.P.), the Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, IWK Health Centre, Halifax, NS (K.H.), the Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Women and Children's Health Research Institute (B.E.L.) and the Provincial Laboratory for Public Health-Alberta Public Laboratories and Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology (X.-L.P., L.C.), University of Alberta, Edmonton - all in Canada; the Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis (D.S.); and Children's Minnesota and Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis (M.G.).

Background: Gastroenteritis accounts for approximately 1.7 million visits to the emergency department (ED) by children in the United States every year. Data to determine whether the use of probiotics improves outcomes in these children are lacking. Read More

Front Pediatr 2018 16;6:304. Epub 2018 Oct 16.

Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.

Holder pasteurization (62. 5°C for 30 min) is recommended by all international human milk bank guidelines to prevent infections potentially transmitted by donor human milk. A drawback is that it affects some human milk bioactive and nutritive components. Read More

Viruses 2018 11 15;10(11). Epub 2018 Nov 15.

Institute of Microbiology and Virology, Rīga Stradiņš University, 5 Ratsupites St., LV-1067 Riga, Latvia.

Human bocaviruses (HBoVs) 1⁻4 belong to the Parvoviridae family, and they infect the respiratory or gastrointestinal tracts in children. We investigated the prevalence of HBoV1⁻4 DNAs in the blood and stool samples, and of HBoV1⁻4 IgG and IgM in the plasma samples, of children presenting with acute gastroenteritis (AGE). In addition, we identified HBoV co-infections with the five most frequent gastrointestinal pathogens. Read More

Eur Ann Allergy Clin Immunol 2019 Jan 12;51(1):32-37. Epub 2018 Nov 12.

Research Center for Immunodeficiencies, Pediatrics Center of Excellence, Children's Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Summary: Primary immunodeficiency diseases (PIDs) are life-threatening disorders, which manifest commonly with gastrointestinal (GI) signs, mainly as chronic diarrhea. To investigate and compare infectious etiology of chronic diarrhea in different PIDs. Assessing clinical features, obtaining immunological profiles, as well as characterizing infectious etiology of diarrhea were performed in 38 PID patients with chronic diarrhea. Read More

Vaccine 2018 Nov 7;36(50):7593-7598. Epub 2018 Nov 7.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, USA.

Intussusception is the invagination of one segment of the bowel into a distal segment, characterized by symptoms of bloody stool, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Previous studies have found regional differences in incidence but the etiology of most intussusception cases is unknown. Rotavirus vaccines were associated with a slightly of increased risk of intussusception in post-licensure evaluations in high- and middle-income countries, but not in low income African countries. Read More

Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis 2019 Mar 11;93(3):203-207. Epub 2018 Oct 11.

Department of Paediatrics, Child and Youth Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.

Rotavirus vaccine has reduced disease prevalence in many countries. Consequently, we aimed to assess the reliability of a rotavirus immunoassay in the community population of Auckland and Northland, New Zealand. Between 22 October 2015 and 31 December 2016, 2873 fecal samples were tested by enzyme immunoassay (EIA, Rotascreen II, Microgen, UK) from 2748 patients (median age 8 years, range 0-101 years). Read More

J Infect Dis 2019 Feb;219(5):746-749

Division of Viral Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.

Rotaviruses bind to enterocytes in a genotype-specific manner via histo-blood group antigens (HBGAs), which are also detectable in saliva. We evaluated antirotavirus immunoglobulin A seroconversion ('vaccine take") among 166 Ghanaian infants after 2-3 doses of G1P[8] rotavirus vaccine during a vaccine trial, by HBGA status from saliva collected at age 4.1 years. Read More

Wellcome Open Res 2018 25;3:65. Epub 2018 Sep 25.

Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, Population Health Science, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 2BN, UK.

The (fucosyltransferase-2) gene determines blood group secretor status. Being homozygous for the inactive "non-secretor" rs601338(A) allele confers resistance to certain infections (e.g. Read More

Med J Malaysia 2018 Oct;73(5):328-329

Hospital Kulim, Department of Paediatrics, Kedah Darul Aman, Malaysia.

A 5-year-old girl presented with three brief episodes of afebrile seizure within 24 hours. There was no significant past medical history but she had symptoms of acute gastroenteritis for the past 2 days. She was mildly dehydrated with no neurological signs. Read More

J Epidemiol 2018 Oct 20. Epub 2018 Oct 20.

Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University.

Background: Selection of test-negative controls takes less time and costs less than traditional control selection for evaluating vaccine effectiveness (VE). Here, rotavirus VE was evaluated using hospital controls and compared with test-negative controls to determine whether using the latter can substitute for the former.

Methods: We recorded gastroenteritis in children from 2 months to 2 years of age at six medical facilities in Saga City between January 4th and May 31st, 2014. Read More

J Virol 2018 Oct 17. Epub 2018 Oct 17.

Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Rotavirus is the leading global cause of diarrheal mortality for unvaccinated children under five years of age. The outer capsid of rotavirus virions consists of VP7 and VP4 proteins, which determine viral G and P types, respectively, and are primary targets of neutralizing antibodies. Successful vaccination depends upon generating broadly protective immune responses following exposure to rotaviruses presenting a limited number of G and P type antigens. Read More

BMC Pediatr 2018 Oct 11;18(1):323. Epub 2018 Oct 11.

Public Health Specialist, Afya Resource Associates, P. O. Box 238-00202, Nairobi, Kenya.

Background: Rotavirus infection is the most common cause of acute gastroenteritis globally in children under 5 years of age and is responsible for approximately 5% of all child deaths yearly. Rotavirus vaccination is considered an effective public health strategy to prevent infection and reduce the severity of disease. Multi-centre country trials on rotavirus vaccines demonstrated efficacy rates of more than 85% in developed countries but only about 65% in developing nations. Read More

Water Res 2018 12 1;147:73-81. Epub 2018 Oct 1.

Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, 116st & 85 Ave, Edmonton, AB, T6G. 2R3, Canada; Provincial Laboratory for Public Health, 8440-112st, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2J2, Canada. Electronic address:

Ultraviolet (UV) disinfection is widely used to inactivate microorganisms prior to release of treated municipal wastewater. However, limited data are available for in situ inactivation of infectious enteric viruses by UV treatment at full-scale. In this study, a total of 51 pre-UV and 50 post-UV samples were collected over a two-year period from two wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and analyzed for noroviruses, rotavirus, reovirus, sapovirus, astrovirus, enteroviruses, adenoviruses and JC virus. Read More

World J Clin Cases 2018 Oct;6(11):426-440

Department of Molecular Biology, Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Kunming 650118, Yunnan Province, China.

Aim: To determine the distribution of rotavirus gene in hospitalized children in Yunnan, China.

Methods: A total of 366 stool specimens were collected from hospitalized children in hospitals in Yunnan Province from September 2010 to December 2013. The genomic RNA electropherotypes and the G genotypes of the rotaviruses were determined. Read More

Trop Med Infect Dis 2018 Sep 17;3(3). Epub 2018 Sep 17.

Department of Biology, University Mohammed V, Rabat 10010, Morocco.

Diarrhea and respiratory diseases are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among <5-year-olds worldwide, but systematic data are not available from Mauritania. We conducted a hospital-based retrospective study. Data on admissions to Mauritania's National Referral Hospital (the main pediatric referral center in the country), due to diarrhea and respiratory diseases, during 2011⁻2014, were analyzed. Read More

ACS Nano 2018 Nov 25;12(11):10665-10682. Epub 2018 Sep 25.

Division of Infectious Diseases , Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center , Cincinnati , Ohio 45229 , United States.

Homotypic interactions of viral capsid proteins are common, driving viral capsid self-formation. By taking advantage of such interactions of the norovirus shell (S) domain that naturally builds the interior shells of norovirus capsids, we have developed a technology to produce 60-valent, icosahedral S nanoparticles through the E. coli system. Read More

J Clin Gastroenterol 2018 Sep 14. Epub 2018 Sep 14.

Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, CA.

Objectives: Biliary atresia (BA) is a rare neonatal liver disease that causes cholestasis and is the leading indication for pediatric liver transplantation. Although the exact etiology of BA remains unknown, evidence from murine models supports the role of rotavirus infection in the development of BA. In 2006, universal rotavirus vaccination was implemented in the United States. Read More

J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc 2018 Sep 3. Epub 2018 Sep 3.

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, Kansas City, Missouri.

Background: The rotavirus disease burden has declined substantially since rotavirus vaccine was introduced in the United States in 2006. The aim of this study was to determine the viral etiology of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in US children aged <2 years.

Methods: The New Vaccine Surveillance Network (NVSN) of geographically diverse US sites conducts active pediatric population-based surveillance in hospitals and emergency departments. Read More

Lancet Infect Dis 2018 Sep;18(9):948-949

RV3 Rotavirus Vaccine Program, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, and Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia.

Vaccine 2018 09 23;36(39):5872-5878. Epub 2018 Aug 23.

Enteric Virus Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Rotavirus Program, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia; Department of Gastroenterology and Clinical Nutrition, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address:

Background: The RV3-BB human neonatal rotavirus vaccine aims to provide protection from severe rotavirus disease from birth. The aim of the current study was to characterise the rotavirus strains causing gastroenteritis during the Indonesian Phase IIb efficacy trial.

Methods: A randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial involving 1649 participants was conducted from January 2013 to July 2016 in Central Java and Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Read More

Acta Med Okayama 2018 Aug;72(4):351-357

Department of Pediatrics, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama 700-8558, Japan.

We studied the etiology of pediatric acute encephalitis/encephalopathy (pAEE) using epidemiological data obtained from a nationwide survey in Japan. Two-step questionnaires were sent to the pediatric departments of hospitals throughout the country in 2007, querying the number of the cases during 2005-2006 as the first step, and asking for the details of clinical information as the second step. In all, 636 children with pAEE (age ≤ 15 years) were enrolled. Read More

JAMA Pediatr 2018 Oct;172(10):958-965

Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Seattle, Washington.

Importance: Rotavirus infection is the global leading cause of diarrhea-associated morbidity and mortality among children younger than 5 years.

Objectives: To examine the extent of rotavirus infection among children younger than 5 years by country and the number of deaths averted because of the rotavirus vaccine.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This report builds on findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016, a cross-sectional study that measured diarrheal diseases and their etiologic agents. Read More

Infect Genet Evol 2018 Nov 26;65:170-186. Epub 2018 Jul 26.

Department of Pathobiology and Medical Diagnostics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia; Borneo Medical and Health Research Centre, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. Electronic address:

A human-porcine reassortant rotavirus, strain R1207, was identified from 74 group A rotaviruses detected in 197 (37.6%) stool samples collected from patients who attended a tertiary care hospital in Ragama, Sri Lanka. This is the first report of a human-porcine reassortant rotavirus in Sri Lanka. Read More

Sci Rep 2018 Jul 25;8(1):11194. Epub 2018 Jul 25.

Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

In 2012, Fiji introduced rotavirus vaccine (Rotarix, GSK) into the national immunisation schedule. We describe the intussusception epidemiology prior to rotavirus vaccine, temporal association of intussusception cases to administration of rotavirus vaccine, and estimate the additional number of intussusception cases that may be associated with rotavirus vaccine. A retrospective review of intussusception cases for children aged <24 months old was undertaken between January 2007 and October 2012 pre-vaccine. Read More

Vaccine 2018 08 20;36(34):5187-5193. Epub 2018 Jul 20.

Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University Saga, Japan.

Background: Rotavirus (RV) vaccination has been available in Japan since November 2011, but is not yet part of Japan's national immunisation programs. There are insufficient data on vaccine effectiveness (VE) among Japanese children.

Methods: Between the months of January and May in 2014 and 2015, we conducted active surveillance of gastroenteritis among children at 14 medical facilities. Read More

Brain Dev 2019 Jan 18;41(1):19-28. Epub 2018 Jul 18.

Department of Gyeongsang Institute of Health Science, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Jinju, South Korea; Department of Pediatrics, Changwon Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Changwon, South Korea. Electronic address:

Background: Recent reports associate rotavirus infection with neonatal seizures of distinctive white matter injury (WMI) pattern, but evidence is lacking. We examined this association prospectively and analyzed factors related to occurrence of seizures and WMI pattern in neonates with rotavirus infection.

Methods: We prospectively included 228 neonates (≥34 gestational weeks) who were admitted to a regional neonatal intensive care unit between February 2015 and April 2016 and underwent rotavirus antigen testing using stool samples. Read More

Intervirology 2018 18;61(1):49-52. Epub 2018 Jul 18.

Citoimmunodiagnostics Laboratory, Department of Public Health and Pediatric Sciences, University of Turin Medical School, Turin, Italy.

Objective: Human Salivirus (SalV) has been associated with gastroenteritis on all continents.

Methods: This paper presents the real-time RT-PCR assay for the detection of SalV in clinical fecal samples collected from 192 hospitalized children with acute gastroenteritis in Piedmont, Italy.

Results: The most commonly detected virus was Norovirus genogroup II (GII) (33. Read More