Human gastroenteritis can be caused by viruses (Rotavirus, Adenovirus, Astrovirus, Calcivirus, etc), by bacteria such as Salmonella and by protozoan organisms such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia.  In children under 4 years, viruses account for 40% of cases.  Among these cases, Rotavirus is the most important cause of the disease (45% of cases). Each year, Rotavirus causes approximately 111 million episodes of gastroenteritis requiring only home care, 25 million clinic visits, 2 million hospitalizations, and 440.000 deaths on average in children <5 years of age.  By age 5, nearly every child will have an episode of Rotavirus gastroenteritis; 1 in 5 will visit a clinic, 1 in 65 will be hospitalized, and approximately 1 in 293 will die. Enteric Adenoviruses (EAd) are considered to be the second cause with  5% to 20% of cases.  Although non enteric Adenoviruses (NEAd) are found in stool, serotypes 40 and 41 of subgenes F (EAd) are dominant (30 to 80% of all adenoviruses detected in feces). Amongst Adenoviruses, EAds have been shown to be the only causative agents of gastrointestinal disease. Serotypes 40 and 41 are found almost exclusively in stool of ill patients while NEAd serotypes are shed in stool of both ill and control patients.   Furthermore, most of the NEAd serotypes found in stool are  known to be responsible for respiratory infections (serotypes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) and for some there is no evidence  they are responsible for gastroenteritis (serotypes 12,18).

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