title: Surveillance and risk factors of norovirus gastroenteritis among children in a southern city of China in the fall-winter seasons of 2003-2006.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Noroviruses (NoVs) are an important cause of acute gastroenteritis but knowledge on the disease burden and epidemiology in children in the developing countries remains limited. In this study, we performed a surveillance of NoV gastroenteritis in children of China to address some of the questions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Faecal specimens from children (<5 years of age) at outpatient clinics of the Nan Fang Hospital in Guangzhou, China during the fall-winter seasons in 2003-2006 were tested for rotaviruses (RVs) and NoVs. A questionnaire on clinical records and hygiene habits was collected from each patient.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 957 stool specimens tested, 488 (51%) specimens were positive for RVs. NoVs were detected in 112 (24%) of the 469 RV negative specimens. The Genogroup II (GII), particularly GII-4, viruses were predominant. No significant difference of clinical symptoms, hospitalisation and patient care expenses were found between children infected with NoVs and RVs. Consumption of uncooked food is a risk for NoV infection. Contact with diarrhoea patients is a suspected risk factor. Cutting nails frequently is a protective factor against NoV infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NoVs are an important cause of acute gastroenteritis in children which need special attention of patient care at the clinics in addition to RVs. The awareness of those risk factors may help future disease control and prevention.
authors: Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
authors: Ying-Chun
authors: YC
authors: Dai
authors: Ming
authors: M
authors: Xia
authors: Hui-Chun
authors: HC
authors: Zhan
authors: Yi
authors: Y
authors: Liu
authors: Jian-Dong
authors: JD
authors: Li
authors: Qing
authors: Q
authors: Chen
authors: Shou-Yi
authors: SY
authors: Yu
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Nie
authors: Tibor
authors: T
authors: Farkas
authors: Xi
authors: X
authors: Jiang
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene; D029322:Norovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D011159:Population Surveillance; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012307:Risk Factors; D012621:Seasons; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population