Investigation the Prevalence of Norovirus, Rotavirus, Human Bocavirus, and Adenovirus in Inpatient Children with Gastroenteritis in Tehran, Iran, During 2021-2022

Background and Aim: Acute gastroenteritis (AGE) is one of the prevalent factors that threaten human health and is among the main causes of childhood morbidity and fatality rates globally.Viruses are considered one of the main causes of AGE.The current investigation aimed to detect the molecular prevalence of four enteric viruses in AGE. Materials and Methods: One hundred gastrointestinal specimens were obtained from AGE patients from hospitals affiliated with the Iran University of Medical Sciences during 2021-2022.After viral nucleic acid extraction, a real-time Polymerase chain Reaction (Real-time-PCR) was performed to investigate five enteric viruses.Results: Among 100 patients, interested viruses were diagnosed in 32 (32%) of patients, who suffered from various gastrointestinal manifestations such as diarrhea, stomach pain, and vomiting.Norovirus (n=10, 32%) was the most common enteric virus, followed by Rotavirus (n=9, 29%), Bocavirus (n=8, 25%), and Adenovirus (n=5, 14).The most virus-positive patients were males (19/32) including Norovirus (7/10), Rotavirus (5/9), Bocavirus (4/8), and Adenovirus (3/5) samples.A high proportion of viruses was detected in children under 12 months. Conclusion:Our investigation was performed to detect the frequency of different enteric viruses in AGE patients.The finding indicated that Norovirus and Rotavirus are major viral pathogens inducing gastrointestinal infection in patients, respectively.Also, accurate diagnosis of gastrointestinal virus agents can help early treatment and prevent unnecessary prescription of antibiotics and drug resistance development.