Molecular characterization of the first Aichi viruses isolated in Europe and in South America

The occurrence of Aichi virus, a picornavirus associated with acute gastroenteritis, has so far only been described in Asian countries. This study reports the first finding of Aichi virus in clinical specimens from Germany and Brazil. The nucleotide sequences of both a German and a Brazilian isolate were determined, analyzed, and compared to known Aichi sequences. The German strain turned out to be a member of genogroup A, while the Brazilian belonged to genogroup B. For a primary assessment of the epidemiological importance of Aichi virus in Germany, a panel of 485 German serum samples was screened for antibody to Aichi virus, and a seroprevalence of 76% was found.