Human reovirus-like agent infection. Occurrence in adult contacts of pediatric patients with gastroenteritis.

Sixty-four adult family contacts of 61 young patients with gastroenteritis were included in a study for evidence of concurrent infection with the human reovirus-like agent (HRVLA) of infantile diarrhea. Evidence of infection was detected in 26 (41%) of the adult contacts. The HRVLA infection occurred significantly more often among adult contacts of pediatric patients infected with HRVLA (55%) than among contacts of young patients not infected with the agent (17%). Mild cases of gastroenteritis developed in only three of the contacts infected with HRVLA.