Epidemiologic and Clinical Characteristics of Human Bocavirus Infection in Children with or without Acute Gastroenteritis in Acre, Northern Brazil

Human bocavirus (HBoV) is an emerging virus detected around the world that may be associated with cases of acute gastroenteritis (AGE). However, its contribution to AGE has not been elucidated. This study aimed to describe the frequency, clinical features, and HBoV species circulation in children up to 5 years with or without AGE symptoms in Acre, Northern Brazil. A total of 480 stool samples were collected between January and December 2012. Fecal samples were used for extraction, nested PCR amplification, and sequencing for genotyping. Statistical analysis was applied to verify the association between epidemiological and clinical characteristics. Overall, HBoV-positivity was 10% (48/480), with HBoV-positive rates of 8.4% (19/226) and 11.4% (29/254) recorded in diarrheic and non-diarrheic children, respectively. The most affected children were in the age group ranging between 7 and 24 months (50%). HBoV infection was more frequent in children who live in urban areas (85.4%), use water from public networks (56.2%), and live with adequate sewage facilities (50%). Co-detection with other enteric viruses was 16.7% (8/48) and the most prevalent coinfection was RVA+ HBoV (50%, 4/8). HBoV-1 was the most frequent species detected in diarrheic and non-diarrheic children, responsible for 43.8% (21/48) of cases, followed by HBoV-3 (29.2%, 14/48) and HBoV-2 (25%, 12/48). In this study, HBoV infection was not always associated with AGE, as most HBoV cases belonged to the non-diarrheal group. Future studies are warranted in order to determine the role of HBoV in causing acute diarrhea disease.