title: Norovirus genotypes in endemic acute gastroenteritis of infants and children in Finland between 1994 and 2007.
abstract: Noroviruses are, after rotaviruses, the second most common causative agents of acute gastroenteritis in young children. We studied norovirus genotypes in faecal specimens collected from Finnish children followed-up prospectively in rotavirus vaccine trials. Almost 5000 faecal specimens collected from cases of acute gastroenteritis were examined using reverse transcriptase-PCR. A total of 1172 cases (25% of all acute gastroenteritis) were associated with noroviruses. Of these, 96% were genogroup GII. GII.4 was the most common genotype (46%) throughout the study period but the proportion of this genotype varied in different norovirus epidemic seasons. Additional norovirus genotypes detected were: GII.7 (15%), GII.3 (14%), GII.1 (9%), GII.b (7%), GII.2 (3%), and GI.3 (2%). GII.4 dominated during the following years: 1998-1999 (75%), 2002-2003 (88%) and 2006-2007 (98%) while recombinant genotype GII.b was dominant between 2003 and 2004 (83%). In conclusion, genotypes GII.4 and GIIb have emerged as predominant norovirus genotypes in endemic gastroenteritis affecting young infants and children in Finland.
authors.affiliation: Vaccine Research Center, University of Tampere Medical School, Tampere, Finland. leena.puustinen@uta.fi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Puustinen
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Blazevic
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Huhti
authors.forename: E D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Szakal
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Halkosalo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salminen
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vesikari
mesh_terms: D017250:Caliciviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D002213:Capsid; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology*; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D029322:Norovirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D012324:RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012621:Seasons; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA
chemical_list: D036022:Capsid Proteins; D012367:RNA, Viral; D012324:RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase