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Abstract

Gastroenteritis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among children, particularly in developing countries. Rotavirus, adenovirus, and torovirus are among the common viral agents associated with pediatric gastroenteritis. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of these viruses and to evaluate diagnostic methods for torovirus infection among Iraqi children. A total of 250 stool samples were collected from pediatric patients aged from 2 weeks to over 10 years who attended Children's Protection Teaching Hospital, Baghdad, Iraq, between December 2023 and August 2024. The samples were screened for the presence of rotavirus, enteric adenovirus, and torovirus antigens using the Hemagglutination test (HA), a one-step Rapid test Rota/ Adeno Ag cassette Kit (HIGHTOP Biotech com) for Rota/Adeno virus, and Real-time PCR for torovirus detection. Torovirus antibody titers were assessed using the hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) assay. The results revealed that HA titers ranged from 1/80 to 1/2560. Rotavirus was detected in 20% (40/200) of samples, adenovirus in 10.5% (21/200), and torovirus in 20% (40/200). No significant differences were observed between genders. High infection rates were observed in children under one year of age, with no significant seasonal variation in torovirus infection. HAI titers ranged from 1:40 to 1:640. Real-time RT-PCR demonstrated superior sensitivity and specificity for ToV detection, with cycle threshold (Ct) values ranging from 18 to 32. In conclusion, torovirus represents a neglected cause of pediatric diarrhea in Iraq. Real-time PCR is a reliable and superior diagnostic method compared with serological techniques. Routine inclusion of torovirus in the differential diagnosis and surveillance of pediatric gastroenteritis is strongly recommended.

Keywords

Adenovirus, Gastroenteritis, Hemagglutination, Real-Time PCR, Rotavirus, Torovirus

Subject Area

Biology

Article Type

Article

First Page

2441

Last Page

2449

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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