Antigenic characterization of small, round-structured viruses by immune electron microscopy.

Small, round-structured viruses (SRSVs) detected from nonbacterial gastroenteritis outbreaks in Tokyo and Saitama Prefecture, Japan, during the period from 1977 to 1988 were tentatively classified into nine antigenic patterns from SRSV-1 (S-1) to SRSV-9 (S-9) by cross-immune electron microscopy (IEM). S-1 and S-2 appeared pattern specific, while S-3 to S-9, distinguishable from each other in their reactivity, appeared somewhat antigenically related. Their antigenic relatedness to the Norwal, Hawaii, and Otofuke agents was also examined by IEM by using antisera to these agents. S-3 appeared most closely related to the Norwalk agent. S-4 and S-5 were related to the Norwalk agent and, presumably, were distantly related to the Hawaii and Otofuke agents. S-6 and S-7 were related to the Hawaii and Otofuke agents. S-8 and S-9 were related to the Otofuke agent and, presumably, were distantly related to the Hawaii agent. The prevalence of each antigenic pattern in 38 outbreaks was examined: S-8 was implicated in 24% of the outbreaks S-5 in 16%, S-4 in 13%, S-9 in 13%, S-6 in 11%, and others in 5%.