Rapid diagnosis of adult diarrhea rotavirus (ADRV): detection of viral antigens in faecal samples using staphylococcal co-agglutination test.

Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I rich in protein A when sensitized with guinea pig antiserum to adult diarrhea rotavirus (ADRV) at 1:16 gave a strong co-agglutination with ADRV-positive faecal samples as previously confirmed by electron microscopy (EM) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The bacteria sensitized with normal guinea pig serum did not give any co-agglutination. Blocking tests using rabbit ADRV-specific antiserum for the treatment of twelve ADRV-positive samples abolished the reaction. All the fifty ELISA-confirmed ADRV-positive faecal samples gave positive co-agglutination, whereas all the forty-eight ELISA-negative faecal samples from healthy subjects gave negative results. The test has been proved to be rapid, simple, specific, and economic, useful for rapid diagnosis even in remote areas, so that the ADRV infection can definitely be differentiated from some of acute bacterial diarrheas.