Clinical surveillance for human astrovirus in Monastir region, Tunisia.

Background/aims: Astroviruses (AstVs) are enteric viruses that can cause gastroenteritis in children. This study is part of monitoring the circulation of astroviruses in children hospitalized and/or outpatients for acute gastroenteritis at the primary care center of Ouerdanine or at the Pediatric Department of the University Hospital Fattouma-Bourguiba (Monastir, Tunisia). The aims of our study were to know the prevalence of human astrovirus in clinical samples of children, characterize the strains and evaluate the infectivity of isolated strains on cell culture.

Seroprevalence and Molecular Characterisation of Human Hepatitis A virus in Serum Samples of Tunisian Patients with Clinical Symptoms of Viral Hepatitis.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the seroprevalence of Hepatitis A virus antibodies in patients with clinical symptoms of viral hepatitis and molecular characterization of the detected isolates. The present study deals with the seroprevalence and the genetic diversity of HAV in 400 Tunisian patients presenting in dispensaries (160 patients) and in University Hospitals (240 patients) with hepatitis symptoms between 2006 and 2008. The patients with acute hepatitis were mainly from rural regions.

Evolutionary pattern of 5'-UTR of enteroviruses and primer update for the detection of enteroviral RNA in environmental samples.

Objective: To study the recombination events among enterovirus strains and the development of specific primers for the detection of enteroviruses in environmental samples.

Methods: Nucleotide sequence analysis of enteroviruses deposited in the international database GenBank (www.ncbi.

Chemical composition and intraspecific variability of the essential oils of five populations of Hypericum triquetrifolium Turra growing in North Tunisia.

The chemical composition of the essential oils of five populations of Hypericum triquetrifolium Turra from Tunisia and their intraspecific variability were analyzed in detail by GC/MS. One hundred seventy-four compounds were identified, representing averages of 87.9 to 98.

Detection of herpes simplex virus (1 and 2), varicella-zoster virus, cytomegalovirus, human herpesvirus 6 and enterovirus in immunocompetent Tunisian patients with acute neuromeningeal disorder.

Enteroviruses (EVs) and human herpesviruses (HHVs) are involved frequently in acute neurological disorders of viral etiology. This study aimed to investigate the incidence of herpes simplex virus types-1 (HSV-1) and 2 (HSV-2), varicella-zoster virus (VZV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) and human enteroviruses (EVs) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples of Tunisian immunocompetent patients with neuromeningeal disorders. The patients had been hospitalized at the Fattouma Bourguiba University Hospital (Monastir, Tunisia) between September 2007 and June 2009.

Characterization of outbreak hepatitis a isolates in five Tunisian childcare centers.

In the present study, epidemiological survey and molecular characterization of hepatitis A virus during an outbreak in five Tunisian childcare centers in El-Mahres during October and November 2006 were carried out. Five well-water and five drinking water samples were included in the present study. Serological investigation and molecular characterization were carried out.

Molecular study of porcine transmissible gastroenteritis virus after serial animal passages revealed point mutations in S protein.

Porcine respiratory coronavirus is related genetically to porcine transmissible gastroenteritis virus with a large deletion in S protein. The respiratory virus is a mutated form that may be a consequence of the gastroenteritis virus's evolution. Intensive passages of the virus in its natural host may enhance the appearance of mutations and therefore may contribute to any attenuated form of the virus.