Study design
3.1. Clinical samples collection
During seven months of a pediatric hospital-based surveillance
study (March to September 2012), paired stool and serum samples
were collected from children admitted in a pediatric clinic, located
in Belém city, Pará state, northern Brazil. Children less than 6 years
hospitalized for AGE (three or more liquid or semi-liquid evacuations
in a 24 h period) were included in the study. Clinical samples
collected after 48 h of admission and children presenting with persistent
diarrhea (>14 days) were excluded. Serum and stool samples
were stored at
−20 ◦C until RNA extraction.
This study, designed with the primary objective of assessing
rotavirus viremia, was performed in accordance to the ethical
standards of the Declaration of Helsinki and ethical approvals
were obtained from an independent Ethics Committee on Human
Research of Evandro Chagas Institute, Brazilian Ministry of Health
(IEC-CEPH, protocol No. 0039/2011). For all samples’ collection, a
written informed consent was obtained from the patient’s parents
or legal guardians.