Viruses causing childhood diarrhoea in the developing world
Globally, it is estimated that diarrhoeal disease results in about 1.87 million deaths in children less than 5 years, accounting for 19% of total child deaths. The majority of these diarrhoeal deaths (1.46 million, 76%) occur in the developing countries of Africa and south-east Asia. In industrialized countries, viral agents of gastroenteritis are the leading cause of acute watery diarrhoea in children. Recently, with improvements in hygiene, sanitation and water supply in developing countries, there has been a marked reduction in the number of bacterial pathogens, and an increasing proportion of diarrhoea hospitalizations that are attributed to viruses. This review focuses on recent studies that contribute to our understanding of the role of enteric viruses as important causes of diarrhoea in children in the developing world, examining epidemiology, pathogenesis and susceptibility.
With the use of sensitive molecular techniques, it is evident that a significant proportion of childhood diarrhoea is attributable to enteric viruses, with at least one viral agent in nearly 43% of samples from childhood diarrhoea in developing countries. Rotaviruses remain the most common pathogens in children, followed by noroviruses in almost all countries. There is increasing evidence that both rotaviruses and caliciviruses spread beyond the gut in a large proportion of infections. The review highlights the importance of viral agents of gastroenteritis in developing countries. Wider use of molecular techniques is resulting in rapid identification of new or emerging strains and in the detection of extra-intestinal spread. There is a need to better understand susceptibility and immune response to these agents to be able to design suitable interventions.
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Tags: Biology, diarrhoea, disease, Medicine, Microbiology, Science, Virology, virus
