Sapovirus in Egyptian Pediatric Gastroenteritis: A Cross-Sectional Molecular Study

Background: Sapovirus is recognized as an important but underreported cause of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in children, particularly in low-resource settings. Aim: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of sapovirus among hospitalized pediatric patients presenting with AGE in Beni Suef Governorate, Egypt. Additionally, it examined associations between sapovirus infection and various clinical symptoms, as well as demographic factors, to better understand potential transmission pathways and illness severity. Methodology: This cross-sectional study included 500 children aged 1 to 15 years who presented with AGE. We found 250 child presented with bacterial gastroenteritis and 200 child with Rotavirus. Stool samples were collected from each child didn’t presented with bacterial or Rotavirus gastroenteritis and analyzed for sapovirus RNA using Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). Results: Out of the 50 children tested, sapovirus RNA was detected in 2 cases, indicating a 4% prevalence rate. Analysis of sociodemographic and clinical symptoms showed no notable differences between sapovirus-positive and sapovirus-negative cases. Conclusion: sapovirus appears to be an important contributor to pediatric AGE in Egypt, with a prevalence rate of 8% among the cases studied. Although no statistically significant associations were found between sapovirus and demographic factors such as age or residence, trends toward longer illness duration and moderate dehydration in sapovirus-positive cases underscore its clinical relevance. These findings highlight the need for broader, large-scale studies to fully assess sapovirus epidemiology in Egypt and similar regions, supporting future vaccine development efforts and more tailored AGE management strategies.