Maureen B. Taylor

University of Pretoria | UP · Deparment of Medical Virology

Background Astroviruses (AstVs) are associated with diarrhoeal and extra-intestinal infections in human, animal and avian species. A prevalence of 7% was reported in selected regions in SA while AstVs detected from clinical stool specimens were almost identical phylogenetically to strains identified in environmental and water samples. This study in...

Aims: This study compared the bag-mediated filtration system (BMFS) and standard WHO two-phase separation methods for poliovirus (PV) environmental surveillance, examined factors impacting PV detection, and monitored Sabin-like (SL) PV type 2 presence with withdrawal of oral polio vaccine type 2 (OPV2) in April 2016. Methods and results: Environ...

Background: Suspected diarrhoeal-illness outbreaks affecting mostly children 5 years were investigated between May and July 2013 in Northern Cape province (NCP) and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province. This study describes the epidemiological, environmental and clinical characteristics and diarrhoeal-illnesses causative agent(s). Methods: A descriptive c...

The bag-mediated filtration system (BMFS) was developed to facilitate poliovirus (PV) environmental surveillance, a supplement to acute flaccid paralysis surveillance in PV eradication efforts. From April to September 2015, environmental samples were collected from four sites in Nairobi, Kenya, and processed using two collection/concentration metho...

Background: Human bocavirus (HBoV) is known to be associated with a variety of clinical manifestation including acute gastroenteritis (AGE). Despite their global prevalence, no data is available on the epidemiology of HBoV associated with acute gastroenteritis in South Africa (SA). Materials and methods: Between April 2009 and April 2015, 3765 s...

The consumption of tonnes of anti-tubercular and other anti-microbial compounds for the control of the tuberculosis epidemic and other opportunistic diseases associated with human immunodeficiency virus presents tuberculosis-endemic countries such as South Africa, with a problem regarding the occurrence and fate of these compounds in the aquatic en...

Enteric virus environmental surveillance via a highly sensitive method is critical, as many enteric viruses have low infectious doses and can persist in the environment for extended periods. This study determined the potential of the novel bag-mediated filtration system (BMFS) to recover human enteric viruses and pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) fr...

Background The epidemiology of human astroviruses (HAstVs) in hospitalised patients <5 years of age from selected sites in South Africa (SA) was investigated. Diarrheagenic stool specimens collected from April 2009 to May 2014 were screened retrospectively for selected viruses, bacteria and parasites. Method Patient data were analysed to identify...

Norovirus (NoV) GII.4 is the predominant genotype associated with gastroenteritis pandemics and new strains emerge every 2–3 years. Between 2008 and 2011, environmental studies in South Africa (SA) reported NoVs in 63% of the sewage-polluted river water samples. The aim of this study was to assess whether wastewater samples could be used for routin...

This study assessed the risks posed by noroviruses (NoVs) in surface water used for drinking, domestic, and recreational purposes in South Africa (SA), using a quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) methodology that took a probabilistic approach coupling an exposure assessment with four dose-response models to account for uncertainty. Water...

Public health interest in norovirus (NoV) has increased in recent years following improved diagnostics, global burden estimates and the development of NoV vaccine candidates. This study aimed to describe the detection rate, clinical characteristics and environmental features associated with NoV detection in hospitalized children <5 years with diarr...

Recombination within the norovirus (NoV) GII.4 genotype is well documented as a mechanism by which novel variants evolve. Norovirus GII.4 has been the predominant NoV genotype detected in South Africa (SA) in recent years and putative NoV recombinants were previously identified in SA based on partial regions of the viral genome. The objective of th...

Norovirus (NoV) is recognised as a leading cause of gastroenteritis worldwide across all age groups. The prevalence and diversity of NoVs in many African countries is still unknown, although early sero-prevalence studies indicated widespread early infection. Reports on NoVs in Africa vary widely in terms of study duration, population groups and siz...

The study aimed to determine the presence of mumps virus (MuV) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens and to genetically characterise detected MuV strains. A real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to detect the MuV F gene, and characterisation was performed by sequencing of the SH gene. Mumps virus was detected...

Background: Sapoviruses (SaVs) are recognised as causative agents of gastroenteritis worldwide. However, data on the genetic diversity of this virus in Africa are lacking, particularly in the form of current long-term studies. Objective: To determine the genetic diversity of SaVs in children hospitalised with gastroenteritis in South Africa (SA)...

The study aimed to determine the presence of mumps virus (MuV) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens and to genetically characterise detected MuV strains. A real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to detect the MuV F gene, and characterisation was performed by sequencing of the SH gene. Mumps virus was detected...

Sapoviruses (SaVs) were detected and quantified in 8/10 water samples collected from wastewater treatment works (WWTWs) and water sources impacted by these WWTWs in Limpopo Province, South Africa. The median SaV concentration was 2.45 × 10(6) copies/L and SaV genotypes I.2 and IV were characterised. This study provides new data on the high concentr...

From 2009 to 2013 the diversity of noroviruses (NoVs) in children (⩽5 years) hospitalized with gastroenteritis in South Africa was investigated. NoVs were genotyped based on nucleotide sequence analyses of partial RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and capsid genes. Seventeen RdRp genotypes (GI.P2, GI.P3, GI.P6, GI.P7, GI.P not assigned (NA), GI.P...

Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is common in children ≤ 5 years of age, and is mainly caused by enterovirus 71 and coxsackievirus A16 (CVA16). A 12-year-old boy on treatment for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) presented to an HIV clinic with fever and a rash on the palms and soles. The syphilis test were negative. Enterovirus was identified...

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) was detected, by real time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, in irrigation water from a dam on a commercial fresh produce farm in South Africa (SA). The virus was characterised by nucleotide sequence and phylogenetic analysis of a consensus sequence spanning the VP1 and VP1/P2B genomic regions. Amino acid sequ...

Background Noroviruses (NoV) are the leading cause of viral gastroenteritis worldwide. Recombination frequently occurs within and between NoV genotypes and recombinants have been implicated in sporadic cases, outbreaks and pandemics of NoV. There is a lack of data on NoV recombinants in Africa and therefore their presence and diversity was investig...

In this study, the prevalence and genotypes of noroviruses (NoVs) in selected water sources from rural, urban and refugee settings in Kenya were investigated. Ten litres each of river, household and borehole water was collected in rural (Mboone River), urban (Nairobi and Mutoine River) and refugee (Dadaab refugee camp) settings. NoVs were recovered...

Background: Noroviruses (NoVs) have been identified as aetiologic agents of acute gastroenteritis across all age groups worldwide. They are highly infectious and transmitted primarily via the faecal-oral route. Worldwide, water and food-borne outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis associated with NoVs have been frequently reported. Noroviruses are gene...

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) strains found in selected South African (SA) surface waters were characterised to establish what HAV types are circulating in the environment, thus reflecting circulation in the surrounding communities. Surface water samples used for irrigation or domestic purposes, and water samples from the outflow of wastewater plants wer...

The human caliciviruses (HuCVs) are important causes of gastroenteritis worldwide. Norovirus (NoV) and sapovirus (SaV) have been detected in HIV-seropositive children but the genetic diversity of HuCVs circulating in these individuals is largely unknown. In this study the prevalence and genotype diversity of HuCVs circulating in Kenyan HIV-positive...

Background: The World Health Organization has recommended that rotavirus (RV) vaccines be included in all national immunization programs as part of a strategy to control RV-associated diarrheal diseases. Hospital-based surveillance of RV infection is therefore crucial in monitoring the impact pre- and post-vaccine introduction and also to document...

To determine whether gastroenteritis viruses and other enteric viruses could be detected in faecal specimens collected with Bio-wipes. Faecal specimens, self-collected with Bio-wipes, from 190 individuals (94 diarrhoeal, 93 non-diarrhoeal, 3 unknown) were screened for eight human enteric viruses (enterovirus, hepatitis A virus, adenovirus, astrovir...

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Over a 2-year period, from January 2009 to December 2010, water samples were collected from three rivers (Klip, Rietspruit and Suikerbosrand) in the Vaal River System, South Africa. Enteric viruses were recovered by a glass wool adsorption-elution method and concentrated using polyethylene glycol/sodium chloride precipitation. Sapoviruses (SaVs) we...

In this study, a competitive internal amplification control (IAC) was constructed for application in the real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction detection of sapoviruses (SaVs). A SaV RNA standard was also created for quantification of the virus. The IAC was included in the screening of environmental samples for SaVs. From August...

To investigate the diversity of human caliciviruses (HuCVs) in wastewater from small- to medium-sized communities in five provinces of South Africa (SA). Wastewater samples (51) were screened for norovirus (NoV) GI, GII, GIV and sapovirus (SaV) using real-time reverse transcription (RT)-PCR. Partial capsid nucleotide sequences were analysed for gen...

SUMMARYThis study aimed to assess norovirus (NoV) contamination and genotype diversity in surface water in Gauteng, South Africa. Between January 2008 and December 2010, three rivers, namely Klip, Suikerbosrant, and Rietspruit were monitored for NoV genogroup (G)I and GII. Viruses were recovered using the glass wool adsorption-elution technique and...

Cyclospora papionis, Cryptosporidium hominis, and Enterocytozoon bieneusi were detected in 42 (17.9%), 6 (2.6%), and 29 (12.3%) of 235 newly captured baboons in Kenya, respectively. Most C. hominis subtypes and E. bieneusi genotypes found have been detected in humans in the area, suggesting that cross-species transmission of cryptosporidiosis and m...

Potential ways to address the issues that relate to the techniques for analyzing food and environmental samples for the presence of enteric viruses are discussed. It is not the authors’ remit to produce or recommend standard or reference methods but to address specific issues in the analytical procedures. Foods of primary importance are bivalve mol...

A human astrovirus (HAstV) strain from Kenya was characterized by nucleotide sequence analysis. Sequences from open reading frame 1a (ORF1a) clustered with genotype 6/7, those from ORF1b clustered with genotype 3, and those from ORF2 clustered with genotype 2. A recombination point in the ORF1b-ORF2 junction was identified, with a second possible r...

Noroviruses (NoVs) are important enteric pathogens that cause gastroenteritis worldwide. The first documented NoV outbreaks in South Africa (SA) were described in 1993. The current NoV prevalence and circulating genotypes are unknown. SA lacks NoV outbreak reporting systems and therefore the number and impact of NoV infections is underestimated. Th...

To determine the occurrence of eight human enteric viruses in surface water and sewage samples from different geographical areas in Kenya. Enteric viruses were recovered from the water and sewage sources by glass-wool adsorption elution and/or polyethylene glycol/NaCl precipitation and detected by singleplex real-time and conventional PCR and rever...

Intussusception (IS) is a form of intestinal obstruction in which a segment of the bowel prolapses into a more distal segment. Viral infections, mostly adenovirus, enteroviruses, human herpesvirus and Epstein–Barr virus are reported in 20–50% of childhood cases of IS. Between January and July 2004, six stool specimens collected from infants 0- to 8...

Aloe ferox and withania somnifera are among southern African plants commonly used for the treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Aqueous extracts from both species, together with aloin, isolated from A. ferox, were evaluated for antiviral activity against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) in vitro. The aqueous extracts showed detect...

The aim of this study was to assess the potential risk of infection constituted by HAV to persons using surface dam and river water for domestic and recreational purposes. It estimates the potential risk using a deterministic exponential risk assessment model with mean values and conservative assumptions. Hepatitis A virus was detected in 17.5% of...

Human astroviruses (HAstV) have been commonly identified worldwide as important aetiological agents of acute gastroenteritis in all age groups including the young, elderly and immunocompromised. However, limited data exist on the prevalence of this important pathogen in Kenya. The aim of this study was therefore to determine the prevalence of astro...

Viral diarrhea remains a major cause of childhood morbidity and mortality worldwide. In Tunisia, no comprehensive studies of all viral agents related to diarrhea in children have yet been conducted. The present study was performed to investigate the role of enteric viruses in acute diarrhea in the country. Six hundred thirty-eight stool samples wer...

Group A rotaviruses (RVs) are the most important cause of acute viral gastroenteritis in infants and young children. In this study raw and treated drinking water supplies at plants in two geographic areas, as well as selected irrigation water and corresponding raw vegetables in three regions of southern Africa, were screened for the presence of RVs...

The inhibitory effect of crude extracts of Euclea natalensis A. DC. and a naphthoquinone, diospyrin, isolated from this species, was investigated against herpes simplex virus Type 1 (HSV-1) for activity by in vitro studies on primary vervet monkey kidney (VK) cells. Cell toxicity was monitored by determining the effect of the extracts and diospyrin...

Group A human rotaviruses (HRVs) are the most important aetiological agents of acute viral gastroenteritis in infants and young children in both developing and industrialised countries. Rotaviruses are resistant to many chemical disinfectants and reportedly survive well in treated tapwater and sewage. In this study a group A specific reverse transc...

A comparative analysis was performed with 25 isolates of astroviruses (AstVs) detected in sewage sources and 22 concurrently identified clinical AstV isolates from the Tshwane (Pretoria) Metropolitan Area in South Africa. The samples and specimens were screened for AstVs by using an enzyme immunoassay and/or a reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) for...

Toxin-converting bacteriophages encoding the Stx2 gene were induced from strains of Escherichia coli O157:H7 isolated from sewage, bovine and porcine faeces. Toxin synthesis can be stimulated by the induction of integrated toxin-converting phages from the host E. coli O157:H7 organism by ultra-violet (UV) exposure. The UV-mediated DNA damage of E....