Genetic diversity of enteric viruses responsible of gastroenteritis in urban and rural Burkina Faso

by Ange Oho Roseline Badjo, Sandra Niendorf, Sonja Jacobsen, Arsène Zongo, Andreas Mas Marques, Ann Christin Vietor, Nongodo Firmin Kabore, Armel Poda, Satouro Arsène Some, Aminata Ouattara, Soumeya Ouangraoua, Grit Schubert, Tim Eckmanns, Fabian H. Leendertz, Essia Belarbi, Abdoul-Salam Ouedraogo

Background

Viral gastrointestinal infections remain a major public health concern in developing countries. In Burkina Faso, there are very limited updated data on the circulating viruses and their genetic diversity.

Objectives

This study investigates the detection rates and characteristics of rotavirus A (RVA), norovirus (NoV), sapovirus (SaV) and human astrovirus (HAstV) in patients of all ages with acute gastrointestinal infection in urban and rural areas.

Study design & Methods

From 2018 to 2021, stool samples from 1,295 patients with acute gastroenteritis were collected and screened for RVA, NoV, SaV and HAstV. Genotyping and phylogenetic analyses were performed on a subset of samples.

Results

At least one virus was detected in 34.1% of samples. NoV and SaV were predominant with detection rates of respectively 10.5 and 8.8%. We identified rare genotypes of NoV GII, RVA and HAstV, recombinant HAstV strains and a potential zoonotic RVA transmission event.

Conclusions

We give an up-to-date epidemiological picture of enteric viruses in Burkina Faso, showing a decrease in prevalence but a high diversity of circulating strains. However, viral gastroenteritis remains a public health burden, particularly in pediatric settings. Our data advocate for the implementation of routine viral surveillance and updated management algorithms for diarrheal disease.