title: Norovirus genotype diversity associated with gastroenteritis outbreaks in aged-care facilities.
abstract: Noroviruses are a major cause of gastroenteritis. Vaccine strategies against norovirus are currently under consideration but depend on a detailed knowledge of the capsid genotypes. This study examined the incidence of norovirus outbreaks in residential aged-care facilities in Victoria, Australia over one year (2013) and documented the (capsid) norovirus genotypes associated with these outbreaks. It was found that 65·0% of 206 outbreaks tested were associated with norovirus infection, thereby showing norovirus to be the major cause of viral gastroenteritis in residential aged-care facilities. Fifteen capsid (open reading frame 2) genotypes were identified as follows: GI.2 (0·9%), GI.3 (1·8%), GI.4 (3·7%), GI.6 (0·9%), GI.7 (0·9%), GI.8 (0·9%), GII.1 (0·9%), GII.2 (0·9%), GII.3 (1·8%), GII.4 (2009-like) (0·9%), GII.4 (2012) (48·6%), GII.4 (2012-like) (16·5%), GII.4 (unknown) (9·2%), GII.5 (2·8%), GII.6 (0·9%), GII.7 (0·9%), GII.13 (6·4%) and an as yet unclassified GII genotype (0·9%). Although GII.4 was the most common norovirus capsid genotype detected, the great diversity of norovirus genotypes in the elderly indicates vaccination strategies for this demographic are not straightforward.
authors.affiliation: Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory,Melbourne,Victoria,Australia.
authors.forename: L D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Bruggink
authors.affiliation: Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory,Melbourne,Victoria,Australia.
authors.forename: N L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Dunbar
authors.affiliation: Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory,Melbourne,Victoria,Australia.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Marshall
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017250:Caliciviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D005838:Genotype; D006707:Homes for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D029322:Norovirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017385:Sequence Homology; D014739:Victoria / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D036022:Capsid Proteins; D012367:RNA, Viral
keywords: Aged care; genotypes; norovirus; outbreaks; vaccine strategies