Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-m6dg7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-15T02:02:09.829Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Serological survey of anti-group A rotavirus IgM in UK adults

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 September 2003

M. J. COX  and
G. F. MEDLEY
M. J. COX
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK current address: Cell and Molecular Biosciences Group, School of Science and the Environment, Coventry University, Coventry CV1 5FB, UK.
G. F. MEDLEY
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Rotaviral associated disease of infants in the UK is seasonal and infection in adults not uncommon but the relationship between these has been little explored. Adult sera collected monthly for one year from routine hospital samples were screened for the presence of anti-group A rotavirus immunoglobulin M class antibodies as a marker of recent infection. Anti-rotavirus IgM was seen in all age groups throughout the year with little obvious seasonal variation in the distribution of antibody levels. IgM concentrations and the proportion seropositive above a threshold both increased with age with high concentrations consistently observed in the elderly. Results suggest either high infection rates of rotavirus in adults, irrespective of seasonal disease incidence in infants, IgM persistence or IgM cross-reactivity. These results support recent evidence of differences between infant and adult rotavirus epidemiology and highlight the need for more extensive surveys to investigate age and time related infection and transmission of rotavirus.

Type
Research Article
Information
Epidemiology & Infection , Volume 131 , Issue 1 , August 2003 , pp. 719 - 726
Copyright
© 2003 Cambridge University Press