title: [Molecular characteristics of norovirus in 3 outbreak-episodes of gastroenteritis in Zhejiang from 2008 to 2009].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the molecular characteristic of norovirus in 3 outbreaks of gastroenteritis in Zhejiang province.
  
  
  METHODS
  During January 2008 and December 2009, fecal specimens of patients were collected from 3 outbreaks of acute viral gastroenteritis. Noroviruses were detected by Real-time RT-PCR. Part of the positive samples were randomly selected and detected by RT-PCR. PCR products were sequenced. Sequence analysis was undertaken based on partial sequence of RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and capsid protein gene. Some positive samples were amplified by 3'RACE (rapid amplification of cDNA 3'ends), 3200 bp in length. The exact whole ORF2, ORF3 and 3'untranslation regions (UTR) gene of norovirus were identified.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were in total 3 outbreaks of viral gastroenteritis caused by norovirus being reported. A total of 62 stools were obtained from cases with acute gastroenteritis. Noroviruses were detected in 41 cases including 27 strains of genogroup I norovirus and 9 strains of genogroup II norovirus, 5 strains of genogroup I + II norovirus. Four genotypes including GI.8, GII.b, GI.2/GI.6 recombination together with co-infection of GI.8 and GII.b were detected.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Norovirus was confirmed as the major cause of outbreaks of viral gastroenteritis in Zhejiang province and multiple genotype of norovirus were identified from the outbreaks. It was the first time to have found a recombinant of GI.6 capsid and GI.2 polymerase norovirus as well as the co-infection of GI.8 and GII.b norovirus in the same sample.
authors.affiliation: Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou 310051, China. glmzq@163.com
authors.forename: Li-Ming
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Qiong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.forename: Yin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yi-Yu
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Yan-Jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ju-Ying
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shi
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D017250:Caliciviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D029322:Norovirus / Q000235:genetics*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral