Enterovirus gastroenteritis in children of the Far Eastern federal district and Eastern Siberia of the Russian Federation (2023–2024)

Enteroviruses are not only replicating in the human intestine but also affect the gastrointestinal tract and cause clinical manifestations of acute intestinal infection in the form of acute gastroenteritis. The objective of the study was to evaluate the contribution of acute gastroenteritis in overall clinical manifestations of the enterovirus infection and identify the features of age distribution and etiology of enterovirus infection intestinal form in children during 2023–2024. Patients and methods. The study was conducted in 790 children residing in the Far Eastern federal district that had a confirmed etiologically and clinically established diagnosis of enterovirus infection. Detection of enterovirus RNA was carried out utilizing RT-PCR. Sequencing of partial VP1 enterovirus gene in automatic mode on a genetic analyzer was utilized for identification of enterovirus types. Statistical analysis of the obtained results was carried out using standard methods and Excel 2013 application software. Results. The share of acute gastroenteritis in the structure of enterovirus infection averaged 9.75%. Highest frequency of the intestinal form was identified in children of 3–6 (40.26%) and 7–17 years of age (31.17%), patients aged 1–2 years accounted for 24.67%, infants under 1 year – 3.9%. Enteroviruses type B (74.03%) was the leading etiological cause of acute gastroenteritis in children among which CVB5 (18.37%) and E6 (16.33%) were detected most frequently in 2023, and E30 (53.57%) and E25 (14.29%) in 2024. Phylogenetic analysis revealed circulation of two CVB5 genovariants (A and B) and two E25 genetic lines (H and D) among children with acute gastroenteritis. Detection of rare type C (CVA19) and type D (EV-D68) viruses in single cases in children with acute gastroenteritis has been noted. Conclusion. A significant contribution of enteroviruses in the development of acute gastroenteritis in children of the Far Eastern federal district and Eastern Siberia of the Russian Federation has been revealed. Preschool and school age children were most vulnerable to this infection. The development of enterovirus gastroenteritis in children was predominantly determined by the spectrum of enteroviruses circulating in the region at a certain time. Current study identified 4 types of enteroviruses belonging to type B (CVB5, E6, E30, E25) that had most potential for development of acute gastroenteritis. Key words: Far Eastern federal district, Eastern Siberia, Enterovirus gastroenteritis, etiology, epidemiology