[Molecular epidemiology of human caliciviruses diarrhea among infants and young children in Lanzhou from December 2001 to June 2004].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the characteristics of human caliciviruses (HuCV) diarrhea among infants and young children with acute diarrhea in Lanzhou, Gansu Province, China by using molecular epidemiologic techniques.


METHODS
Stool specimens were collected from both outpatients and inpatients with acute diarrhea in Lanzhou. Enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) was used to detect rotavirus antigen (RVA). Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reactions (RT-PCR) were used to detect HuCV in stool specimens of RV ELISA (-).


RESULTS
Of the stool specimens collected from 515 cases in Lanzhou from December 2001 to June 2004, 264 were RVA ELISA (+) and 251 were RVA ELISA (-). Among all cases who were RVA ELISA (-), 25 (9.96%) were found positive for HuCV. HuCV was detected in 12 of 133 cases (9.02%) from December 2001 to November 2002, no genotyping was performed for these cases. From July 2003 to June 2004 13 of 118 cases (11.02%) were found positive for HuCV, of whom 11 cases had Norwalk-like virus GII (NLV GII) infection and 2 cases had Sapporo-like virus infection (one case had combined infection with astrovirus) and no NLV GI was found. HuCV infection mainly occurred in children under 2 years of age and no seasonal cluster was found.


CONCLUSIONS
HuCV is one of the major etiological agents of viral diarrhea among infants and young children in Lanzhou. NLV GII maybe the predominant genotype.
Jin
Yu
Y
Department of Pediatrics, the First Hospital, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.
Huang
Xiang
X
Fang
Zhao-yin
ZY
Tan
Jia-yu
JY
Dong
Qiao-li
QL
Xie
Hua-ping
HP
Zhang
Jing
J
D002139:Caliciviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D017250:Caliciviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D012367:RNA, Viral