[Detection and typing assay of norovirus in acute hospitalizations among children less than 5 years old from 2008 to 2009 in Lulong, Hebei province].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the molecular epidemiologic characteristics and genotypes of norovirus in children less than 5 years of age in Lulong area from 2008 to 2009.


METHODS
325 stool specimens and epidemiological data from hospitalized children with diarrhea less than 5 years of age were collected. Rotavirus was detected by using the ELISA kit. Norovirus, adenovirus and astrovirus were detected by multiple reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Partial norovirus strains were sequenced and the tree was conducted by using the phylogenetic analyses.


RESULTS
Norovirus was detected in 37 out of 325 (11.3%) specimens,ranked only second to rotavirus (48.6%), and higher than adenovirus (6.5%) and astrovirus (4.3%). Norovirus predominantly infected children less than 2 years of age and the season peak of norovirus occurred in November. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the predominant strain was the GII. 4/2006b variant. Interestingly, a novel unreported GII-4 variant was found in this study.


CONCLUSIONS
Norovirus was one of the most important pathogens causing acute gastroenteritis from 2008 to 2009 in Lulong area. The GII. 4/2006b vairant was still the predominant strain. It is important to keep on monitoring the novel GII. 4 variant.
Nanhua University, College of Public Health, Hengyang, Hunan 42100, China.
Qiang
Q
Lin
Miao
M
Jin
Hui-Ying
HY
Li
Shu-Xian
SX
Cui
Qing
Q
Zhang
Na
N
Liu
Shao-Long
SL
Feng
Zhao-Jun
ZJ
Duan
D000208:Acute Disease; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D029322:Norovirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010802:Phylogeny; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013997:Time Factors