title: Frequency of Norovirus in stool samples from patients with gastrointestinal symptoms in Switzerland.
abstract: To determine the frequency of sporadic community-acquired Norovirus (NV) infection in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, an evaluation of gastroenteritis cases seen in physicians' practices between July 2001 and July 2003 was conducted. A total of 699 stool specimens documented to be free of common bacterial pathogens was screened for the presence of NV by RT-PCR. NV was detected in 125 (17.9%) of these specimens. In the seasonal analysis, the highest rate of NV-positive samples (38.3%) was found between January and March 2002. After July 2002, the study was expanded to additionally test for NV in stool samples containing a known bacterial pathogen. Among 132 such specimens, NV was detected in only one. This suggests that NV mixed-infections are playing a marginal role in Switzerland.
authors.affiliation: Cantonal Laboratory Basel-Landschaft, 4410, Liestal, Switzerland.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fretz
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Herrmann
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Christen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Svoboda
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Dubuis
authors.forename: E H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Viollier
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanner
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baumgartner
mesh_terms: D017250:Caliciviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology*; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D029322:Norovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012621:Seasons; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology