Detection of Viral Agents Causing Gastroenteritis by Multiplex PCR Method in Patients; Norovirus, Rotavirus, Adenovirus, Astrovirus, Sapovirus

Acute viral gastroenteritis may lead hospitalization and death in individuals with underlying health conditions such as immunosuppression. Identification of pathogen causing gastroenteritis is important for appropriate treatment. It is important to demonstrate the presence of the viral nucleic acid by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in the stool specimens of the patients for the laboratory diagnosis of viral gastroenteritis. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of viral gastroenteritis and evaluate the distribution and characteristics of viral agents among patients hospitalized with gastroenteritis at a university hospital from June 2019 to December 2022. A total of 340 stool samples from 265 patients with gastroenteritis submitted to the Virology Laboratory were included in the study. The gastrointestinal syndromic (GIS) panel was performed on stool samples of the patients. Of the 340 samples, 121 (35%) were positive. Viral agents were detected in 21 (17%) of these positive samples. One hundred and seventy three samples were sent from immunocompromised patients with transplants, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, and malignancies etc. Among these, 47 (27%) samples were positive by GIS panel. When comparing the norovirus frequency versus the other viral agents, norovirus was the most viral agent detected in samples from immunocompromised patients. Immunosuppression was found as a risk factor for norovirus gastroenteritis in this study. Early diagnosis of viral gastroenteritis in immunocompromised patients is crucial to reduce transmission. Therefore, the use of a GIS panel in these patients for the diagnosis of viral gastroenteritis should become common.