Detection of Norwalk virus or Norwalk-like virus infections in Finnish infants and young children.
Norwalk virus (NV) and Norwalk-like viruses are important causes of epidemic nonbacterial gastroenteritis in older children and adults. Serologic responses to NV of 154 Finnish infants and young children participating in a rotavirus vaccine study were examined by ELISA with a recently available baculovirus-expressed recombinant NV capsid protein. In 4 serially collected sera (at the median ages of 3, 4, 14, and 23 months), 49% of children had at least one NV infection over the approximately 2-year study period. Children with low NV-specific IgG titers (< 1:50) at the median age of 4 or 14 months were significantly more likely to acquire an NV infection by the median age of 14 or 23 months, respectively, than children who had higher NV IgG titers (> 1:50) (P < .05). Thus, NV or Norwalk-like virus infections are more common in infants and young children than previously believed, and antibody to NV may be protective against such infections.
Lew
J F
JF
Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
Valdesuso
J
J
Vesikari
T
T
Kapikian
A Z
AZ
Jiang
X
X
Estes
M K
MK
Green
K Y
KY
D017250:Caliciviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000032:analysis; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009663:Norwalk virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012307:Risk Factors
D007070:Immunoglobulin A