Two instances of large genome profile picobirnavirus occurrence in Argentinian infants with diarrhea over a 26-year period (1977-2002).

Background: Picobirnavirus' (PBV) association with diarrhea in children is not reliably established and the potential role of pathogenic PBV needs further investigations.
Objective: The aim of this study is to clarify the role of PBV in diarrhea illness in children.
Methods: Between January 1977 and December 2002, 2224 stool specimens were collected from children <3 years old with diarrhea illness. All samples were analyzed by the polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis technique (PAGE) for the presence of bisegmented dsRNA virus genomic pattern. Gels were dried and archived. This study procedure allowed us to keep a laboratory electrophoretic record of each sample assayed. In the present study, all the electrophoretic records were reviewed in order to identify PBV positive samples.
Results: Two out of 2224 (0.09%) stools were positive for large genome profile of PBV. These two positive samples were collected from hospitalized children <1 year old; one of them presenting rotavirus co-infection.
Conclusions: The findings obtained in the present report support strong evidence that large genome profile PBV can be considered more an occasional viral agent rather than an etiological agent associated with diarrheal illness.