Polyomavirus Shedding in the Stool of Healthy Adults

• Published in: Journal of Clinical Microbiology Vol. 47; no. 8; pp. 2388 - 2391
• Main Authors: Vanchiere, John A, Abudayyeh, Suhaib, Copeland, Christina M, Lu, Lee B, Graham, David Y, Butel, Janet S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Society for Microbiology 01.08.2009; American Society for Microbiology (ASM)
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; BK virus; Carrier State - virology; DNA, Viral - genetics; Feces - virology; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; JC virus; Male; Microbiology; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods; Polyomavirus; Polyomavirus - isolation & purification; Polyomavirus Infections - virology; Prevalence; Simian virus 40; Virology; Virus Shedding; Young Adult; Infection; Virus; Microbiology; Dissemination; Viral disease; Polyomavirus; Papovaviridae; Feces
• ISSN: 0095-1137; 1098-660X
• DOI: 10.1128/JCM.02472-08

We recently reported the frequent detection of polyomaviruses (BK virus [BKV] or simian virus 40 [SV40]) in 46% of stool samples from hospitalized children. In order to determine if adults exhibit fecal shedding of polyomavirus, single stool specimens from healthy adults were evaluated by PCR. Overall, 20 (18.2%) of 110 specimens were positive for human polyomaviruses: 9 with BKV, 9 with JC virus (JCV), 1 with SV40, and 1 with both JCV and SV40. Among the 94 subjects without immune compromise, 17 (18.1%) were excreting polyomaviruses. This shedding frequency in adults was significantly lower than that observed in children (P < 0.001). These findings support the hypothesis that the gastrointestinal tract may be a site of polyomavirus persistence, and they suggest a fecal-oral route of viral transmission.