Electron microscopic findings in faeces from children with gastroenteritis.

A total of 788 faecal samples from children in the Wellington region with symptoms of gastroenteritis were examined by immune electron microscopy. Virus was seen in 211 specimens; 87% of these were from infants less than three years of age. A viral diagnosis was made in 27% of cases consisting of rotaviruses (19%), adenoviruses (5%), and small round viruses (3%). Both rotaviruses and adenoviruses were most prevalent during the winter months, while the small round viruses peaked in summer and winter. The importance of fastidious adenoviruses is illustrated-of the 38 separate sightings only one was recovered in tissue culture. The value of the electron microscope as a rapid diagnostic tool in these cases is shown as it is often the only method of identification available.