One‐year prospective cross‐sectional study to assess the importance of group F adenovirus infections in children under 2 years admitted to hospital

Abstract

A 1‐year prospective cross‐sectional study of 363 children under 2 years of age admitted to hospital was undertaken to assess the importance of group F adenovirus infections. Faeces obtained within 48 hours of admission from 97 patients with and 266 patients without diarrhoea were screened by electron microscopy. Viruses were identified by morphological criteria, and all adenoviruses seen were retested by immune electron microscopy to identify group F serotypes. Group F adenoviruses (4 infections) were second in frequency to rotaviruses (16 infections), and both viruses were significantly associated with diarrhoea (P = 0.005 and 0.000001 respectively, chi‐squared test). All four group F infections occurred in children with diarrhoeal disease aged between 1 and 6 months and were numerically as important as rotavirus (three infections) in this group. Rotavirus infections occurred significantly more frequently in the 7‐24‐month age group with diarrhoea (11v.0 infections, P = 0.001, chi‐squared test). Nosocomial infection occurred with group F adenovirus as well as rotavirus. The finding that group F adenoviruses occur as frequently as rotaviruses in diarrhoeal disease that results in hospital admission in children between 1 and 6 months of age could have important implications for preventative strategies.