Relative Frequency of Sapovirus Among Children Under 5 Years of Age With Acute Gastroenteritis at the Aboozar Hospital, Ahvaz, Iran

Background: Gastroenteritis is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in humans all over the world, especially in infants under 5 years of age. Many microorganisms, including viruses, have been identified as the causative agents of gastroenteritis. Sapovirus is a major causative agent of acute viral diarrhea that occurs mostly in children under 5 years of age. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of Sapovirus infection among children under 5 years of age who had gastroenteritis and were referred to Aboozar Hospital, Ahvaz, Iran. Patients and Methods: All fecal specimens were collected from children with acute gastroenteritis, Sapovirus RNA was extracted using TRIzol and detected by reverse transcriptasepolymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) followed by sequencing of the positive samples. Results: Of the 200 clinical stool samples collected, 6 (3%; 5 samples from male patients and 1 from a female patient) were found to be positive for Sapovirus by the RT-PCR method. The identityof t PCR products was confirmed by sequencing. Sapoviruses belonging to genogroup II were identified as the dominant type causing gastroenteritis in children. The incidence of Sapovirus infection was the highest during the coldest months. Conclusions: Sapovirus prevalence in children under the age of 5 years with acute gastroenteritis was 3%, and genogroup II was the dominant type.