DIAGNOSIS OF ASTROVIRUS BY REVERSE-TRANSCRIPTASE PCR IN STOOLS FROM PATIENTS IN THE UK AND SAUDI-ARABIA

Background: Astroviruses are becoming increasingly recognised as a cause of diarrhoea in children, and to a lesser extent, adults. Electron microscopy is the recognised standard for diagnosis but is not available in many centres. Objectives: This study set out to evaluate a RT-PCR method for the diagnosis of astrovirus in faecal specimens. Study design: 130 diarrhoeal stools were collected prospectively both from Saudi Arabia and Leicester, UK. The patients from each centre were age-matched. Twenty control isolates from food service staff without clinical illness were also collected. Both electron microscopy (EM) and RT-PCR (for astrovirus serotype 1) were used to diagnose astrovirus infection. Results: Of 23 PCR-positive specimens, only 17 were detected by EM. The prevalence of astrovirus serotype 1 was determined by PCR as 1.5% in Saudi Arabia and 4.6% in the UK. Conclusion: RT-PCR is a more sensitive alternative to EM for astrovirus serotype 1.