Routine detection of human rotavirus by latex agglutination: comparison with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, electron microscopy and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

A commercially available latex agglutination test, RotaScreen (Mercia Diagnostics Ltd., West Byfleet, Surrey, U.K.) was evaluated for the detection of human rotaviruses in stool specimens. The results obtained were compared with those from 3 other routine assay systems used in this laboratory: enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), electron microscopy (EM) and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) of viral ribonucleic acid. 400 stool samples were examined by the 4 assay systems under routine conditions. RotaScreen latex agglutination was found to be more sensitive than EM and PAGE, and highly specific for rotavirus antigens.