title: [Molecular epidemiology of diarrhea among children with Norwalk-like virus in a hospital of Guangzhou in autumn and winter].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the epidemiological characteristics of Norwalk-like virus (NLVs) infection in children with diarrhea and to study the genotype and predominant cluster at a hospital in Guangzhou city.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fecal specimens from 358 children with acute gastroenteritis from October 2003 to January 2004 and information about the cases were collected. NLVs was detected from the specimens by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and the PCR products were purified and sequenced.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-two positive specimens were detected from the 358 fecal specimen with a positive rate of 11.73% (42/358). Of these, 40 specimens were obtained from infants younger than 3 years of age. The youngest infant infected with NLVs in this study was only 25 days. The positive rate in November (17.27%) was the highest. Eleven positive PCR products were selected and sequenced. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed that 11 strains all belong to genogroup II (G II), and of these, 5 strains belonged to G II-3 cluster, with another 5 strains belonged to G II-4 cluster. However, one strain with its cluster could not be determined.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NLVs served as one of the important pathogens causing sporadic acute gastroenteritis among children at a hospital in Guangzhou. The predominant strains were identified as G II-3 and G II-4 cluster.
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology Department, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ying-chun
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: Ying-min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Jian-dong
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hui-chun
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Zhan
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Shou-yi
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nie
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D017250:Caliciviridae Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D006761:Hospitals / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D029322:Norovirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D012621:Seasons; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D017678:Sex Distribution
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral