Artit Sangkakam1, Pasin Hemachudha2, Abhinbhen W Saraya2, Benjamard Thaweethee-Sukjai2, Thaniwan Cheun-Arom3, Alice Latinne4,5,6, Kevin J Olival4, Supaporn Wacharapluesadee2. 1. Department of Internal Medicine, Loei Hospital, Loei, Thailand. 2. Thai Red Cross Emerging Infectious Diseases-Health Science Centre, World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Research and Training on Viral Zoonoses, Chulalongkorn Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. 3. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ramkhamhaeng University, Bangkok, Thailand. 4. EcoHealth Alliance, New York, NY, USA. 5. Wildlife Conservation Society, Viet Nam Country Program, Ha Noi, Viet Nam. 6. Wildlife Conservation Society, Health Program, Bronx, NY, USA.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Influenza virus favours the respiratory tract as its primary site of host entry and replication, and it is transmitted mainly via respiratory secretions. Nasopharyngeal swab is the gold standard specimen type for influenza detection, but several studies have also suggested that the virus replicates in the human gastrointestinal tract. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on all patients positive for influenza virus and initially recruited as part of the PREDICT project from 2017 to 2018. The objectives of the study were to investigate whether rectal swab could aid in improving influenza detection, and if there was any correlation between gastrointestinal disturbances and severity of infection, using length of hospital stay as an indicator of severity. RESULTS: Of the 51 influenza-positive patients, 12 had detectable influenza virus in their rectal swab. Among these 12 rectal swab positive patients, influenza virus was not detected in the nasopharyngeal swab of three of them. Gastrointestinal symptoms were observed for 28.2% patients with a negative rectal swab negative and 25.0% patients with a positive rectal swab. Average length of hospital stay was 4.2 days for rectal swab positive group and 3.7 days for rectal swab negative group. This difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.288). CONCLUSIONS: There is no correlation between influenza virus detection in rectal swab and gastrointestinal disturbances or disease severity, and there is currently insufficient evidence to support replicative ability in the gastrointestinal tract.
INTRODUCTION: Influenza virus favours the respiratory tract as its primary site of host entry and replication, and it is transmitted mainly via respiratory secretions. Nasopharyngeal swab is the gold standard specimen type for influenza detection, but several studies have also suggested that the virus replicates in the human gastrointestinal tract. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on all patients positive for influenza virus and initially recruited as part of the PREDICT project from 2017 to 2018. The objectives of the study were to investigate whether rectal swab could aid in improving influenza detection, and if there was any correlation between gastrointestinal disturbances and severity of infection, using length of hospital stay as an indicator of severity. RESULTS: Of the 51 influenza-positive patients, 12 had detectable influenza virus in their rectal swab. Among these 12 rectal swab positive patients, influenza virus was not detected in the nasopharyngeal swab of three of them. Gastrointestinal symptoms were observed for 28.2% patients with a negative rectal swab negative and 25.0% patients with a positive rectal swab. Average length of hospital stay was 4.2 days for rectal swab positive group and 3.7 days for rectal swab negative group. This difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.288). CONCLUSIONS: There is no correlation between influenza virus detection in rectal swab and gastrointestinal disturbances or disease severity, and there is currently insufficient evidence to support replicative ability in the gastrointestinal tract.
Authors: K K W To; C C Y Yip; C Y W Lai; C K H Wong; D T Y Ho; P K P Pang; A C K Ng; K-H Leung; R W S Poon; K-H Chan; V C C Cheng; I F N Hung; K-Y Yuen Journal: Clin Microbiol Infect Date: 2018-06-12 Impact factor: 8.067
Authors: R Hirose; T Daidoji; Y Naito; Y Watanabe; Y Arai; T Oda; H Konishi; M Yamawaki; Y Itoh; T Nakaya Journal: Clin Microbiol Infect Date: 2016-07-15 Impact factor: 8.067
Authors: Trevenan Walther; Rositsa Karamanska; Renee W Y Chan; Michael C W Chan; Nan Jia; Gillian Air; Clark Hopton; Maria P Wong; Anne Dell; J S Malik Peiris; Stuart M Haslam; John M Nicholls Journal: PLoS Pathog Date: 2013-03-14 Impact factor: 6.823