Etiology and Rapid Diagnosis of Human Viral Gastroenteritis

摘要

This project is designed to assess the etiology and establish the rapid diagnosisof human viral gastroenteritis. Of primary importance is the development and utilization of immunoassays to detect various viral agents, with preparation and use of monoclonal antibody reagents where possible. Following the successful development of rapid diagnostic assays, the medical and epidemiological importance of various etiologic agents is being ascertained. Towards this end, we have developed rapid, sensitive and specific monoclonal antibody-based immunoassays for the enteric adenoviruses (serotypes 40 and 41) and astroviruses in clinical stool samples. Along with our previously developed monoclonal antibody immunoassay for rotavirus detection we have evaluated the relative significance of these viruses in gastroenteritis in several populations and have established a clear and important etiologic role for astroviruses in addition to that known for rotaviruses and enteric adenoviruses. Over the course of the contract we have also demonstrated antigenic relationships among Norwalk virus, Snow Mountain virus and caliciviruses and have developed monoclonal antibodies to caliciviruses which are currently being investigated for diagnostic utility. We were the first to confirm cultivation of the human astroviruses and were the first to develop quantitative techniques for epidemiological and biological studies of human astroviruses, through virus plaguing and neutralization techniques. Using these methods, we established that the Marin County agent of diarrhea is an astrovirus serotype 5 which we were able to detect directly in stool samples. In addition, we have established definitively through controlled studies that astroviruses are medically important causes of acute gastroenteritis.