Viral GI infections and C. difficile Flashcards
What warning signs are usually absent for viral GI infections that can help distinguish them from bacterial ones?
No high fever, bloody diarrhea, or severe abdominal pain
Which symptom is often most prominent for viral GI infections?
vomiting
What is the typical duration of a viral GI infection?
usually self limiting and over in 72 hours
What are the #1 and #2 causes of viral GI infections worldwide?
- rotavirus
2. norovirus
What family of virus does norovirus belong to?
Caliciviridae
What kind of genome do the Caliciviridae (norovirus) viruses have? what structure?
ssRNA (+) and non-enveloped
What is the clinical presentation for someone with acute gastroenteritis brought on by norovirus?
Explosive diarrhea and vomiting
- either both or just one of them
What is the approximate incubation period for Norovirus?
24-48 hours
What are 4 clinical criteria to diagnose someone with norovirus?
- short incubation period (1-2 days)
- short illness (1-3 days)
- high frequency of vomiting
- absence of bacterial pathogens
How infectious is norovirus? what is the infectious dose?
highly infectious! 1-10 particles only
what is the mode(s) of transmission for norovirus?
- fecal oral
- fomites
- airborne (emesis of vomit)
Once the symptoms of norovirus clear, do patients still shed virus?
Yes for a couple weeks or months (immunocompromised)
What types of foods are often contaminated with norovirus?
shellfish that filter water and concentrate the virus
How many generogroups and subsequent genotypes are there for norovirus?
5 genero groups (GI-GV)
34 genotypes
Which two generogroups of norovirus are the primary cause of human disease
GI and GII
What generogroup/strain of norovirus is most often responsible for outbreaks? How often do new strains of it emerge?
GII.4
New ones every 2-3 years
Can you culture norovirus?
no
How can you test for the presence of norovirus?
antigen detection or molecular detection with RT-PCR
What are two different genetic targets for RT-PCR with norovirus and when would you want to use either one?
Viral RNA dep. RNA pol is good to determine that you HAVE norovirus because they will all have it
Want to look at sequences in more variable regions in order to differentiate between strains of norovirus
What family of viruses does Rotavirus belong to?
Reoviridae family
What is interesting about the structure of rotavirus? (3)
- 11 dsRNA segments
- non-enveloped
- 3 capsids: outer, intermediate, and inner capsid
How many rotavirus particles are required for infection?
as few as 100
How long after a rotavirus infection can you still detect the virus particles?
57 days
What is the mode of transmission for rotavirus?
- fecal oral route
2. food and water borne
What two lab tests are used to detect rotavirus?
- Antigen testing
2. RT-PCR
What is the clinical presentation of rotavirus in children?
- low grade fever
- vomiting (2-4 days)
- Explosive non-bloody diarrhea thats very frequent
What is often the most dangerous result of a rotavirus infection?
Severe dehydration due to repetitive diarrheal episodes
What % of severe gastroenteritis in children is caused by rotavirus?
~25-65%
What % of deaths for children under 5 are caused by rotavirus?
5%
Why was the RotaShield vaccine taken off the market?
Some link to to increase in intussusception of the small intestine
What are the two currently prescribed rotavirus vaccines?
Rotarix™ (GlaxoSmithKline Inc.) and RotaTeq® (Merck Canada, Inc.)
How do the Rotarix and RotaTeq vaccines differ? which is better?
Rotarix: intravenous and monovalent
RotaTeq: oral and pentavalent
- better one
What kind of genome/structure does enteric adenovirus have?
linear dsDNA and non-enveloped
What serogroup of adenovirus causes gastroenteritis? what types?
Serogroup F: types 40 and 41