Abstract
Three hundred and twenty-two single sera from children (newborn to 9 years old), young adults (18-20 years of age), pregnant women and theircord sera, and elderly people (more than 70 years old) were tested for antibodies specific to enteric adenoviruses (species 40 and 41) using neutralization test. All sera were also tested for specific antibodices to common antigen of adenovirus by enzyme immunoassay. The rate of acquisition of antibodies to Ad 40 and/or 41 increased with age. Sera of children from 1 to 6 months old, and from 37 to 48 months of age, revealed antibodies to Ad 40 and/or 41 in 20.0% and 50.0% of samples, respectively. Forty eight percent of sera collected from young adults showed positive antibodies to Ad 40 and/or 41 and the positive rate was as low as 10.0% among aged people.
Nineteen percent of paired sera from patients with acute gastroenteritis showed a significant rise in antibodies to Ad 40 and/or 41. Forty two percent of the same paired sera showed significant rise of antibodies specific to rotavirus by enzyme immunoassay.
All sera tested reacted positively to common antigen of adenoviruses when determined by enzyme imunoassay.
