An Association Between HBoV and Acute Gastroenteritis in a 2-Month-Old Infant: A Case Report

The Human bocavirus (HBoV) was first identified from the nasopharyngeal aspirate specimen in 2005, which includes four subtypes (HBoV1-4). The HBoV-1 is a major subtype in acute respiratory infections of children, and others (HBoV2-4) present in the stool specimens. The pathogenic role of HBoV2-4 in acute gastroenteritis has not confirmed yet, therefore, it has been considered widely.

In this report, we presented a 2-month-old boy with acute gastroenteritis admitted to the Shahid Beheshti Hospital of Kashan, Iran. The stool sample of the patient was tested for HBoV by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of the NP-1 gene. The other major gastrointestinal pathogens of Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., Giardia lamblia, and Entamoeba histolytica were confirmed by specialized microbiological procedures and viral pathogen of Rotavirus by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. This case was confirmed by NP-1 plasmid cloned as a positive control. All clinical manifestations were analyzed by a pediatric nurse through hospital admission.

This case was found HBoV-positive for the NP-1 gene of 354 bp by PCR. The major signs were diarrhea, fever, dehydration, and abdominal pain. This case was charged after supportive therapies for dehydration. We showed that HBoV could be a gastrointestinal pathogen in pediatric patients and causing diarrhea in young children. However, more studies are needed to confirm.