Human gastroenteritis is a multifactorial disease. It can be caused by various pathogens agents : viruses (Adenovirus or Rotavirus), bacteria (Salmonella) or protozoan microorganisms such as Cryptosporidium parvum.
Diagnosis of the ethiological agent of diarrhea can only be performed in laboratory since no relevant clinical signs allow to differenciate amongst different microorganisms. Moreover classical techniques involving cell culture, electron microscopy, floatation and staining techniques allow to identify these agents, it is well known that these ways of identification are time consuming and sometimes not sensitive enough.
ELISA technology has rapidly replaced these techniques giving rise to simplicity, rapidity, sensitivity and specificity. Unfortunately this procedure is time and money consuming and not suitable for physicians or for one shot analysis. Moreover, in emergency case, the only possibility to diagnose Adenovirus is to perform a latex test which is less sensitive t