[Visualization by electronmicroscopy of 28 nm virusparticles (astroviruses) in faeces of newborns with acute nonbacterial gastroenteritis (author's transl)].

On occasion of an epidemic of acute nonbacterial gastroenteritis virus particles were visualized by electronmicroscopy in the faeces of 76 newborns; these particles had the following properties: mean diameter 28 nm; ether-resistent, stable at pH 3.0; buoyant density 1.33--1.34 g/ml in CsCl. About 10% of these particles had a definite star-like structure on their surface. Due to these properties the virusparticles were considered to be astroviruses. The virus was not cytopathogenic for cell cultures susceptible for enteroviruses, and not pathogenic for newborn mice.