Seasonal prevalence of asymptomatic norovirus infection in Korean children.
The prevalence of asymptomatic norovirus (NoV) infection was investigated in children registered for kindergarten in Korea during the winter and summer. Children with no gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhea and abdominal pain, during the 2 weeks before and following sample collection were included in this investigation. NoV presence and genetic identification were determined with real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and conventional nested reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. The prevalence of NoV in asymptomatic children was 5.5% in the winter and 3.5% in the summer, respectively. GII.4 was the most prevalent NoV genotype, but GII.2 and GI.10 were also found during genetic analysis. This study demonstrates that asymptomatic NoV infection may be an important source of transmission in kindergarten children.
Cheon
Doo-Sung
DS
Division of Enteric and Hepatitis Viruses, Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Jeong
Hye Sook
HS
Jeong
Ahyong
A
Lee
Kang-Bum
KB
Lee
Min Hwa
MH
Tahk
Hongmin
H
Choi
Changsun
C
D058070:Asymptomatic Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D017250:Caliciviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D029322:Norovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012621:Seasons; D019562:Viral Load