title: Norovirus GII.4 antibodies in the Portuguese population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Norovirus GII.4 is the leading cause of outbreaks of acute and sporadic acute gastroenteritis worldwide. Information on the prevalence of norovirus in Portugal is scarce or null.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used a GII.4 norovirus virus-like particle-based enzyme immune assay to measure the seropositivity rate of GII.4 norovirus.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 342 (70%) out of 473 serum samples tested positive for anti-GII.4 norovirus IgG. No statistically significant differences were found between regions, sex and age groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Norovirus GII.4 infections are frequent in Portugal.
authors.affiliation: Escola Superior Agrária, Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, Viseu, Portugal. jmesquita@esav.ipv.pt.
authors.forename: João Rodrigo
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Mesquita
authors.forename: Maria São José
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Nascimento
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D017250:Caliciviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D029322:Norovirus / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*; D011174:Portugal / Q000453:epidemiology; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G