Detection and characterization of human adenoviruses from cases of acute flaccid paralysis in Northern Brazil

Abstract

The human adenovirus (HAdV) cause a variety of infections such as acute respiratory, gastrointestinal, ocular, urinary tract and also serious neurological syndromes. The present study aimed to identify and characterize HAdV in stool samples of patients from the Northern region of Brazil in the period of 1998 to 2012, with acute flaccid paralysis, negative for poliovirus and enterovirus nonpolio. In this study, 19 samples showed a characteristic cytopathic effect of HAdV when inoculated in HEp2-C and L20B lineages. These samples were subjected by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in real-time (qPCR) and partial nucleotide sequencing of the hexon gene. Of the total samples, 13 were confirmed by qPCR, PCR and nucleotide sequencing. Genetic analysis showed the following viral characterization: one sample of HAdV-F41; three samples of HAdV-A31 and nine species C, three of HAdV-C5-C6 and six of HAdV The positive samples were from the States of Pará (6/19 - 31.6%), Amazonas (6/19 -31.6%) and Acre (1/19 - 5.2%). In relation to the age group, from 13 positive cases, 12 were children under 5 years old, representing 92.3% of cases. The results suggest a possible HAdV participation in the etiology of acute flaccid paralysis occurred in Northern Brazil.