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Complement fixation test for the detection of Rotavirus in stools has been evaluated. Removal of anticomplementary activity from the stools by absorption with complement or fetal calf serum was obtained. Then human reference serum pools were checked for the optimal dilution to be employed in the test. Sensibility and specificity of the c.f. method was determined on faecal specimens controlled by EM. The results indicate that c.f. test is adequate for, and easily adaptable to the detection of Rotaviruses in the stools.

A new application of crossing-over electrophoresis on cellulose acetate (c.o.e.) in diagnosis of Rotavirus infections is described. The results are compared with those obtained in electron microscopy (e.m.). The main reasons for application of c.o.e. to routine virological diagnosis of Rotavirus infections are exposed.

We report the use of the line immunoelectroosmophoresis (LIEOP), a modification of the immunoelectroosmophoresis (IEOP), for the serodiagnosis of rotavirus infection, in comparison with the complement fixation test. We tested 17 paired and 29 single sera from hospitalized children affected by acute gastroenteritis; rotavirus had been searched in the stools both by electron microscopy and IEOP. The LIEOP showed seroconversion in all the 11 cases with positive stools and also in 5 out of 5 patients whose stool sample had been negative. Either we had not been able to detect the virus, or there was an intervening (nosocomial) rotavirus infection. All sera which were reactive by complement fixation with bovine rotavirus were also reactive by LIEOP. Some of the sera which reacted by LIEOP, both with the homologous and the heterologous antigen, were negative by complement fixation.