Isolation and Public Health Significance of Non-Polio Enteroviruses in Healthy Nigerian Children

Abstract

Non-Polio Enteroviruses (NPEVs) are in circulation all over the world. Some of these viruses have been associated with several chronic diseases such as cardiopathy, myositis, acute flaccid and spastic paralysis in children which mimic poliomyelitis. This study sought to ascertain whether Non-Polio Enteroviruses (NPEVs) are silently shed by apparently healthy school children in Bauchi state, Nigeria. This cross-sectional study involved 200 stool samples collected from 170 (85%) vaccinated and 30 (15%) unvaccinated apparently healthy school children from Bauchi, Katagum and Misau local government areas of Bauchi state, Nigeria. All samples were processed and inoculated onto Rhabdomyosarcoma (RD) and L20B cell-lines. Inoculated cell-lines were monitored for Cytopathic Effects (CPE) for 10 days with 1 subculture after first 5 days. None of the samples came down with CPE on L20B however, three (3) samples were positive for NPEVs on RD cell lines. One (1) coxsackie B virus was from a 7 years old male child, and 2 other untypeable isolated were from a male and a female child respectively. All the 3 (1.6%) positive samples were from children not immunized with Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV). The coxsackie B virus was identified by micro neutralization test using polyclonal sera as described by the World Health Organization. Findings from this study indicate the presence of relatively few NPEVs in the study participants. Since NPEVs can implicate persistent fecal-oral transmission and present with serious pathology, it should be considered as serious public health issue. This justifies the need for periodic surveillance of NPEVs in our communities in order to prevent unforeseen NPEVs-associated diseases and promote public health policies that will encourage environmental sanitation programs.