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Abstract: From June 1993 to June 1995 stool samples were obtained from 377 children with acute diarrhea admitted to the Antonio Patricio de Alcalá Hospital in Cumaná, Venezuela. Electrophoretic patterns of rotaviruses were detected in 27.85 per cent (105/377) of fecal samples. The long pattern (80%) prevailed over the short pattern (18.09%) and 2 specimens (1.91%) exhibited mixtures of electropherotypes. Viral RNA coelectrophoresis showed 6 distinct patterns, 4 electropherotypes of long profiles and 2 of short profiles. Association was found among the distinct electropherotypes detected and the clinical features of the illness. It was observed that the duration of diarrhea ranged from 3 to 6 days (73.8%), minimum daily evacuation was 1 to 2 times (85.4%), maximum daily evacuation was 5 to 8 times (58,1%). Most of the children showed a moderate dehydration (79,0%), did not have fever (78,1%), and the duration of vomiting ranged from 1 to 4 days (74.2%). These results suggest that all electropherotypes behaved in a similar way and therefore did not provide information to establish the severity of the infection. Consequently, it seems unlikely that the electropherotypes can be used to identify more virulent strains of rotavirus. Resumen: Desde junio de 1993 a junio de 1995 se obtuvieron 377 muestras fecales de niños con diarrea aguda admitidos en el hospital Antonio Patricio de Alcalá de Cumaná, Venezuela. Se detectaron patrones electroforéticos de rotavirus en 27,85 por ciento (105/377) de las muestras, observándose que los patrones largos (80%) prevalecieron sobre los cortos (18,09%) y 2 especímenes (1,91%) exhibieron mezclas de electroferotipos. Por coelectroforesis se identificaron 6 patrones electroforéticos diferentes, 4 de patrón largoy2 de patrón corto. Se encontró asociación entre los electroferotipos detectados y las características clínicas de la enfermedad, notándose una duración de la diarrea de3a6 días (73,8%), la evacuación mínima diaria fue1a2 veces (85,4%) y la evacuación máxima diaria fue 5 a 8 veces (58,1%). La mayoría de los niños mostraron una deshidratación moderada (79,0%), no tuvieron fiebre (78,1%) y la duración de los vómitos fue de1a4 días (74,2%). Estos resultados sugieren que todos los electroferotipos se comportaron de manera similar y por lo tanto no proporcionaron información para establecer la severidad de la infección, por lo que parece improbable que los electroferotipos puedan ser usados para identificar cepas más virulentas de rotavirus.

The presence of E. coli producer of shiga toxin and rotavirus was investigated in 90 stool samples from children less than 3 years old with diarrhea. Three aliquots were separated from each sample: the first one underwent previous enrichment for E. coli O157, the second one was plated on agar MacConkey-Sorbitol and Red Eosine with MUG, and the last one was frozen at -70 degrees C for the later analysis of rotavirus. The search of the antigen O157 of E. coli was carried out by immunochromatography in vitro of Coris Bioconcept (Belgium). The presence of the antigen O157 (rbf O157) and the genes that code for the shiga toxin (stx1 and stx2) were determined by PCR. Rotavirus were detected by electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gels. The 90 samples analyzed by immunochromatography were negative for the antigen O157. The isolates were STEC strains non O157 and contained the gene sx1, showing a 10% of positivity. The electrophoresis for the viral RNA detected rotavirus in 21 (23.33%) samples. This result confirms the rotavirus prevalence and suggests, that the circulation of STEC strains non O157 is an indication of the involvement of these strains in the ethiology of acute diarrheas.