New virus associated with diarrhoea in neonates

Abstract

Since December, 1974, there has been an increase in the incidence of acute diarrhoea in the neonatal nurseries of five Melbourne metropolitan hospitals. Four of these have had epidemics, and the incidence of endemic diarrhoeal disease has increased. Extracts of faeces from 148 patients from the five hospitals were examined by electron microscopy. "Duovirus" particles were detected in 82 of these extracts, including at least one from each hospital. No bacterial pathogens were isolated. It seems likely that "duovirus" is an important cause of sporadic and epidemic acute diarrhoeal disease in neonates. It is important to note that the absence of a recognized bacterial pathogen does not exclude an infective cause, especially when sugar intolerance is present. Appropriate measures to minimize the spread of infection must be employed.