Intestinal Shedding of SARS-CoV-2 in Children: No Evidence for Infectious Potential

Filomena Nogueira; Klara Obrova; Meryl Haas; Evelyn Tucek; Karin Kosulin; Michaela Fortschegger; Paola Fürhacker; Christina Walter; Lisa Größlinger; Susanne Peter; Julia Othman Hassan; Martin Probst; Hans Salzer; Thomas Lion

doi:10.3390/microorganisms11010033

Intestinal Shedding of SARS-CoV-2 in Children: No Evidence for Infectious Potential

Filomena Nogueira
, Klara Obrova
, Meryl Haas
, Evelyn Tucek
, Karin Kosulin
, Michaela Fortschegger
, Paola Fürhacker
, Christina Walter
, Lisa Größlinger
, Susanne Peter
, Julia Othman Hassan
, Martin Probst
, Hans Salzer
, Thomas Lion

Research output: Journal article (peer-reviewed) › Journal article

4 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The clinical courses of COVID-19 in children are often mild and may remain undiagnosed, but prolonged intestinal virus shedding has been documented, thus potentially enabling fecal-oral transmission. However, the infectious potential of SARS-CoV-2 viruses excreted with feces has remained unclear. Here, we investigated 247 stool specimens from 213 pediatric patients to assess the prevalence of intestinal SARS-CoV-2 shedding in hospitalized children without or with COVID-19 and determined the infectious capacity of stool-borne viruses. Upon RT-qPCR screening, the infectivity of virus-positive samples was tested in cell culture using the Vero-E6 permissive cell line. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected by RT-qPCR in 32 (13%) stool specimens, but the analysis of virus-positive samples in cell culture revealed no cytopathic effects attributable to SARS-CoV-2-related cell damage. Our findings do not support the notion of potential fecal-oral SARS-CoV-2 spreading, thus questioning the role of hygienic measures designed to prevent this mode of viral transmission.

Original language	English
Article number	33
Journal	Microorganisms
Volume	11
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11010033
Publication status	Published - Jan 2023

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This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

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10.3390/microorganisms11010033

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title = "Intestinal Shedding of SARS-CoV-2 in Children: No Evidence for Infectious Potential",

abstract = "The clinical courses of COVID-19 in children are often mild and may remain undiagnosed, but prolonged intestinal virus shedding has been documented, thus potentially enabling fecal-oral transmission. However, the infectious potential of SARS-CoV-2 viruses excreted with feces has remained unclear. Here, we investigated 247 stool specimens from 213 pediatric patients to assess the prevalence of intestinal SARS-CoV-2 shedding in hospitalized children without or with COVID-19 and determined the infectious capacity of stool-borne viruses. Upon RT-qPCR screening, the infectivity of virus-positive samples was tested in cell culture using the Vero-E6 permissive cell line. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected by RT-qPCR in 32 (13\%) stool specimens, but the analysis of virus-positive samples in cell culture revealed no cytopathic effects attributable to SARS-CoV-2-related cell damage. Our findings do not support the notion of potential fecal-oral SARS-CoV-2 spreading, thus questioning the role of hygienic measures designed to prevent this mode of viral transmission.",

author = "Filomena Nogueira and Klara Obrova and Meryl Haas and Evelyn Tucek and Karin Kosulin and Michaela Fortschegger and Paola F{\"u}rhacker and Christina Walter and Lisa Gr{\"o}{\ss}linger and Susanne Peter and Hassan, \{Julia Othman\} and Martin Probst and Hans Salzer and Thomas Lion",

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year = "2023",

month = jan,

doi = "10.3390/microorganisms11010033",

language = "English",

volume = "11",

journal = "Microorganisms",

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T1 - Intestinal Shedding of SARS-CoV-2 in Children

T2 - No Evidence for Infectious Potential

AU - Nogueira, Filomena

AU - Obrova, Klara

AU - Haas, Meryl

AU - Tucek, Evelyn

AU - Kosulin, Karin

AU - Fortschegger, Michaela

AU - Fürhacker, Paola

AU - Walter, Christina

AU - Größlinger, Lisa

AU - Peter, Susanne

AU - Hassan, Julia Othman

AU - Probst, Martin

AU - Salzer, Hans

AU - Lion, Thomas

PY - 2023/1

Y1 - 2023/1

N2 - The clinical courses of COVID-19 in children are often mild and may remain undiagnosed, but prolonged intestinal virus shedding has been documented, thus potentially enabling fecal-oral transmission. However, the infectious potential of SARS-CoV-2 viruses excreted with feces has remained unclear. Here, we investigated 247 stool specimens from 213 pediatric patients to assess the prevalence of intestinal SARS-CoV-2 shedding in hospitalized children without or with COVID-19 and determined the infectious capacity of stool-borne viruses. Upon RT-qPCR screening, the infectivity of virus-positive samples was tested in cell culture using the Vero-E6 permissive cell line. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected by RT-qPCR in 32 (13%) stool specimens, but the analysis of virus-positive samples in cell culture revealed no cytopathic effects attributable to SARS-CoV-2-related cell damage. Our findings do not support the notion of potential fecal-oral SARS-CoV-2 spreading, thus questioning the role of hygienic measures designed to prevent this mode of viral transmission.

AB - The clinical courses of COVID-19 in children are often mild and may remain undiagnosed, but prolonged intestinal virus shedding has been documented, thus potentially enabling fecal-oral transmission. However, the infectious potential of SARS-CoV-2 viruses excreted with feces has remained unclear. Here, we investigated 247 stool specimens from 213 pediatric patients to assess the prevalence of intestinal SARS-CoV-2 shedding in hospitalized children without or with COVID-19 and determined the infectious capacity of stool-borne viruses. Upon RT-qPCR screening, the infectivity of virus-positive samples was tested in cell culture using the Vero-E6 permissive cell line. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected by RT-qPCR in 32 (13%) stool specimens, but the analysis of virus-positive samples in cell culture revealed no cytopathic effects attributable to SARS-CoV-2-related cell damage. Our findings do not support the notion of potential fecal-oral SARS-CoV-2 spreading, thus questioning the role of hygienic measures designed to prevent this mode of viral transmission.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85146805036

U2 - 10.3390/microorganisms11010033

DO - 10.3390/microorganisms11010033

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 36677323

SN - 2076-2607

VL - 11

JO - Microorganisms

JF - Microorganisms

IS - 1

M1 - 33

ER -

Intestinal Shedding of SARS-CoV-2 in Children: No Evidence for Infectious Potential

Abstract

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