title: Norovirus and sapovirus infections among children with acute gastroenteritis in Ho Chi Minh City during 2005-2006.
abstract: A molecular epidemiological study on common diarrheal viruses was conducted in a children's hospital in Ho Chi Minh City between December 2005 and November 2006. Fecal samples were collected from 502 pediatric patients with acute gastroenteritis, and were screened for the presence of norovirus (NoV) and sapovirus (SaV). NoVs GII and SaVs were detected in 6.4% and 1.2% specimens, respectively, while there was no NoV GI found among studied samples. NoVs could be identified through the year, except in April and July, with the peak of detection rate (62.5%) during the rainy season. Conversely, four out of six (66.7%) of the SaV strains were identified during the dry season. Patients aged between 6 and 23 months were found to be more infected by NoVs. The overall mean severity score of norovirus-positive patients was 9.8 +/- 3.6, and no significant difference of severity scores among patients belonged to different age groups, gender and place of living. The results of phylogenetic analysis showed the diversity of caliciviruses circulating in the area, and various types of recombination were identified among NoVs and SaVs detected. These results provide important information on calicivirus infections among Vietnamese children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental Medical Sciences, Institute of International Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Tuan Anh
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: LePhuc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hoang
authors.forename: Le Duc
authors.initials: le D
authors.lastname: Pham
authors.forename: Kim Trong
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Hoang
authors.forename: Shoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Okitsu
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mizuguchi
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ushijima
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D017677:Age Distribution; D017250:Caliciviridae Infections / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D029322:Norovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D029341:Sapovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D012621:Seasons; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014505:Urban Population; D014744:Vietnam / Q000453:epidemiology