[Virus and gastrointestinal infections].

Numerous viruses found in the gut are not associated with primary infection or disease of the gastrointestinal tract. Other groups or viruses are not classically associated with infection of the gut but can infect the gastrointestinal tract in immunocompromised individuals (herpes simplex virus, cytomegalovirus, papillomavirus ..

Evaluation of rapid culture centrifugation method for adenovirus detection in stools.

Routine laboratory testing for adenovirus (Adv) requires a procedure that is rapid and reliable, especially for samples from children and immunosuppressed patients, when diarrhea may signal the onset of severe gastrointestinal disorders. An improved culture technique for Adv isolation, using centrifugation step of 24-well plates and needing only 48 h incubation, was evaluated for 382 stool samples. This technique was compared with conventional tube cell culture and a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit.

[Adenoviruses from stool samples in hospital units. Comparison with main pathogens in gastroenteritis (rotavirus, Campylobacter, Salmonella)].

During a six-years period (1988-1993), a total of 14,644 stool samples from in-patients of Limoges University Hospital were examined for the presence of principal enteric pathogens, such as adenovirus, rotavirus, Campylobacter, Salmonella, Shigella and others. Stools were processed for identification of bacteria by standard methods and viruses were detected in fecal specimens using antigen detection methods: ELISA (Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay) and latex agglutination test. The decreasing rates of presence of enteric agents were respectively 6% for rotavirus, 3.

Enteric prevalence of adenovirus in human immunodeficiency virus seropositive patients.

To evaluate the prevalence of adenovirus strains in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients and to investigate their possible role in the onset of diarrhea, a total of 103 stools from HIV-seropositive patients at various stages of infection and 200 stools from sex and age cross-matched control subjects were examined. Adenovirus prevalence was measured by ELISA as well as conventional and rapid cell culture techniques. Results were compared between patients suffering from diarrhea and those without diarrhea.