Rotavirus in Oysters, Lettuce, and Feces in Children with Diarrhea from Panama
Lurys Bourdett-Stanziola *
Biomedicine Research Unit, Center for Biodiversity and Drug Discovery, Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas (INDICASAT), Panamá and Programa de Las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo, (PNUD), Panamá and Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad de Panamá, Panamá and Secretaría Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación (SENACYT), Panamá.
Manuel Cuevas-Abrego
Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad de Panamá, Panamá.
Annabelle Ferrera
Escuela de Microbiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras (UNAH), Honduras.
Armando A. Durant-Archibold
Biomedicine Research Unit, Center for Biodiversity and Drug Discovery, Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas (INDICASAT), Panamá and Department of Biochemistry, College of Natural, Exact Science and Technology. Universidad de Panamá, Panamá.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Rotavirus infections are the most common causes of infectious diarrhea in young children worldwide. We performed a genotyping of rotavirus strains by RT-PCR for G (VP7) and P (VP4), in Anadara tuberculosa, Lactuca sativa and feces samples of children with diarrhea collected in Panama. Combinations of genotypes G (VP7) and P (VP4) were identified in Anadara tuberculosa: 30 (15%) corresponding to G12P[8], 26 (13%) to G12P[6], 28 (14%) to G1P[8], 7 (3.5%) to G2P [6]. Lactuca sativa: 42 (18%) corresponding to G12P[8], 33 (14%) to G1P[8]. In feces of children with diarrhea: 39 (13%) corresponding to G12P[8], 14 (4.6%) to G9P[8], 12 (4%) to G12P[6], 2 (0.6%) to G2P[x], 1(0.3%) to G3P[8], 6(2%) to G2P[4] were identified. This research represents the first report of rotavirus strains identified in Anadara tuberculosa and Lactuca sativa in Panama and the Central American region.
Keywords: Rotavirus, diarrhea, Anadara tuberculosa, Lactuca sativa