Diversity of human astroviruses in Germany 2018 and 2019

Abstract

Aim of this study was to investigate the molecular diversity of human astroviruses (HAstV) in Germany. A follow-up study was performed with human stool samples collected in 2018–2019, which were genotyped retrospectively. A total of 2645 stool samples, collected between January 2018 and December 2019 from sporadic cases and outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis were analyzed. An algorithm of PCR systems was used to characterize human astrovirus. Human astroviruses were found in 40 samples (positive rate: 1.6%). During the study period, children aged 1–2 years (48%) were most affected by HAstV. Genotyping revealed a number of nine circulating genotypes representing four human Mamastrovirus species. Strain MLB1 was predominant in the study population with a detection rate of 25% followed by HAstV1 with a positive rate of 20%. The diversity of astrovirus genotypes seems to be rather stable in Germany in the last years. A clustering of regionally and/or temporally linked human astroviruses in Germany was not detectable.