Small round virus‐like particles associated with acute gastroenteritis in japanese children

Abstract

Nine patients with acute gastroenteritis shed small round virus‐like particles in the faeces, and seven of them developed serum antibody against those particles as judged by immune electron microscopy. The small round virus‐like particle was measured at 29–32 nm in diameter and showed a fine spiky structure on the surface. The buoyant density of the small round virus‐like particles was determined to be 1.37–1.40 gm/cm³ in cesium chloride density gradient. The small round virus‐like particle differed morphologically from astrovirus and calicivirus, and was antigenically dissimilar to Norwalk agent and W agent. These observations suggest that the small round vims‐like particle is one of the new gastroenteritis viruses or may be a new serotype of them. Attempts to cultivate the small round virus‐like particles were unsuccessful.