Yoshimura: Viral Gastroenteritis Flashcards
What is gastroenteritis?
What percentage of acute diarrhea is viral?
Gastroenteritis: inflammation of the lining of the intestine, leading to diarrhea
More than ½ of all cases of acute diarrhea are of viral origin
Gastroenteritis
Incubation period:
What does dehydration result from?
Incubation period of 1-4 days before abrupt onset of vomiting, followed by diarrhea and mild fever
Dehydration results due to severe loss of electrolytes and fluids (can be fatal if untreated)
Note: Second only to acute respiratory infections as a cause of disease in families.
What viruses are responsible for gastroenteritis (4)?
Reoviridae (Respiratory and enteric orphan virus)
Adenovirus (Types 40 and 41)
Calcivirus
Astrovirus
Reoviridae (Respiratory and enteric orphan virus):
Type of genome?
What is the most important cause of severe gastroenteritis in young kids?
Segmented?
Groups?
Reoviridae (Respiratory and enteric orphan virus): dsRNA genomes (cytoplasmic replication)
Rotavirus: most important cause of severe gastroenteritis in young kids
- Segmented, linear dsRNA genome
- Groups A, B, C and D (Group A usually associated with human gastroenteritis)
What is the second most important viral agent of endemic diarrhea in children?
Type of genome?
Adenovirus (Types 40 and 41): DNA genome (nuclear replication)
o Second most important agent of endemic diarrhea in children
Calcivirus
Type of genome?
What is the most common cause of outbreaks of acute, nonbacterial gastroenteritis in the USA?
Who are affected?
Calcivirus: +ssRNA genome (cytoplasmic replication)
Norovirus (Norwalk Virus): Most common cause of outbreaks of acute, nonbacterial gastroenteritis in the USA
- 1 in 15 people in the US get norovirus illness each year
- Older children and adults are affected.
(Natalja’s notes)
Norovirus (Norwalk Virus): 40% of outbreaks of acute, epidemic, nonbacterial gastroenteritis in the US; mainly affects older children and adults
What virus causes sporadic cases and occasional outbreaks in infants, young children and the elderly?
Type of genome?
Severity?
Astrovirus: +ssRNA genome (cytoplasmic replication)
o Causes sporadic cases and occasional outbreaks in infants, young children and the elderly (those that do not have robust immune systems)
o Infections are usually mild
Rotavirus
Transmission Route:
Site of Infection:
-Which sites are spared?
Infectious Dose:
Transmission: Fecal-oral route; nosocomial infections also frequent (ubiquitous organisms)
Site of Infection: Cells at the tip of villi in the small intestine (stomach and large intestine are spared)
Infectious Dose: As few as 10 ingested particles are all that is required; after infection, a very large number of particles appear in the feces (~10^10)
What family is rotavirus a part of?
Reoviridae
Rotavirus
Incubation Period:
Seasonality:
Common Age Groups:
Incubation Period: 1-4 days
Seasonality: Infections predominate during the winter season
Common Age Groups: Most common age affected is children between 6 months and 2 years.
Rotavirus
Mechanism of Pathogenesis
Direct or indirect cellular damage?
What does the outer viral capsid protein bind to?
Direct Cellular Damage: viral outer capsid protein binds to a glycolipid receptor on enterocytes
Rotavirus
Mechanism of Pathogenesis: Direct cellular damage
Where does replication occur?
What occurs after replication?
How are transport mechanisms affected?
Replication in cytoplasm; after replication, there is acute onset of vomiting and diarrhea
Damage to transport mechanisms (impaired Na and glucose absorption)
Rotavirus
Mechanism of Pathogenesis
Activation of Intestinal Nerves
What is stimulated?
Activation of Intestinal Nerves: stimulation of enterocytes to secrete water
Rotavirus
Mechanism of Pathogenesis (3):
Direct cellular damage
Activation of intestinal nerves
Fluid accumulation in the lumen of SI
Rotavirus
Mechanism of Pathogenesis
What does fluid accumulation in the lumen of the small intestine result in?
10-20 diarrheal episodes per day and severe dehydration