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. 2023 Mar 21;76(6):1043-1049.
doi: 10.1093/cid/ciac861.

Sapovirus Infections in an Australian Community-Based Healthy Birth Cohort During the First 2 Years of Life

Affiliations

Sapovirus Infections in an Australian Community-Based Healthy Birth Cohort During the First 2 Years of Life

Asmaa El-Heneidy et al. Clin Infect Dis. .

Abstract

Background: Sapovirus is an important cause of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in young children. However, knowledge gaps remain in community settings. We investigated the epidemiology, disease characteristics, and healthcare use associated with sapovirus infections in Australian children during their first 2 years of life.

Methods: Children in the Brisbane-based Observational Research in Childhood Infectious Diseases birth cohort provided daily gastrointestinal symptoms (vomiting/loose stools), weekly stool swabs, and healthcare data until age 2 years. Swabs were batch-tested for sapovirus using real-time polymerase chain reaction assays. Incidence rates and estimates of associations were calculated.

Results: Overall, 158 children returned 11 124 swabs. There were 192 sapovirus infection episodes. The incidence rate in the first 2 years of life was 0.89 infections per child-year (95% confidence interval [CI], .76-1.05), and the symptomatic incidence rate was 0.26 episodes per child-year (95% CI, .17-.37). Age ≥6 months, the fall season, and childcare attendance increased disease incidence significantly. Fifty-four of the 180 (30%) infections with linked symptom diaries were symptomatic, with 72% recording vomiting and 48% diarrhea. Prior infection reduced risk of further infections (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.70 [95% CI, .54-.81]) in the study period. Viral loads were higher and viral shedding duration was longer in symptomatic than asymptomatic children. Twenty-three (43%) symptomatic episodes required healthcare, including 6 emergency department presentations and 2 hospitalizations.

Conclusions: Sapovirus infections are common in Australian children aged 6-23 months. Efforts to reduce childhood AGE after the global rollout of rotavirus vaccines should include sapovirus where estimates of its incidence in communities will be crucial.

Keywords: ORChID; children; diarrhea; sapovirus; vomiting.

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Conflict of interest statement

Potential conflicts of interest. The authors: No reported conflicts of interest. All authors have submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Monthly trend of incidence rates (with 95% confidence interval) of all sapovirus infections and symptomatic episodes. Point estimates and error bars are offset for clarity.

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