Prevalence of diarrhea viruses in hospitalized children in Hong Kong in 2008.
A total of 209 stool samples were collected from pediatric patients admitted for acute gastroenteritis in a hospital in Hong Kong, during an 8-month period from January to August 2008, and were tested for the presence of rotavirus, norovirus, sapovirus, adenovirus, and astrovirus using a multiplex RT-PCR assay. The most common virus was rotavirus group A (59 of 209, 28%, mainly serotypes G1, G2, G3, and G9), followed by norovirus group II (48 of 209, 23%), adenovirus (7 of 209, 3%, serotypes 2, 3, and 41), and sapovirus (2 of 209, 1%). Interestingly, none of the specimens in this study were positive for astrovirus. One sample was found to have a dual infection with both norovirus group II and adenovirus. The results support the importance of norovirus as a causative agent of diarrhea in children, which may be underestimated by the current routine diagnostic testing.
Li
Cheryl S Y
CS
Department of Microbiology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
Chan
Paul K S
PK
Tang
Julian W
JW
D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002673:Child, Hospitalized; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D029322:Norovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015995:Prevalence; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D029341:Sapovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D014780:Viruses / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*