Detection of small round structured viruses in stool specimens from outbreaks of gastroenteritis by electron microscopy and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.

In testing 60 stool specimens small round structured virus (SRSV) particles were detected in 35 (58%) specimens from all 17 outbreaks of gastroenteritis by electron microscopy (EM), while SRSV genes were found in 36 (60%) specimens from 15 outbreaks by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) by use of 2 primer pairs. Specimens from 2 outbreaks were found SRSV particles-positive by EM but SRSV genes-negative by RT-PCR. EM remains the basic examination method for diagnosis of SRSV agents.