title: Development of enhanced primer sets for detection of norovirus.
abstract: Norovirus (NV) is a major viral pathogen that causes nonbacterial acute gastroenteritis and outbreaks of food-borne disease. The genotype of NV most frequently responsible for NV outbreaks is GII.4, which accounts for 60-80% of cases. Moreover, original and new NV variant types have been continuously emerging, and their emergence is related to the recent global increase in NV infection. In this study, we developed advanced primer sets (NKI-F/R/F2, NKII-F/R/R2) for the detection of NV, including the variant types. The new primer sets were compared with conventional primer sets (GI-F1/R1/F2, SRI-1/2/3, GII-F1/R1/F2, and SRII-1/2/3) to evaluate their efficiency when using clinical and environmental samples. Using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and seminested PCR, NV GI and GII were detected in 91.7% (NKI-F/R/F2), 89.3% (NKII-F/R/R2), 54.2% (GI-F1/R1/F2), 52.5% (GII-F1/R1/F2), 25.0% (SRI-1/2/3), and 32.2% (SRII-1/2/3) of clinical and environmental specimens. Therefore, our primer sets perform better than conventional primer sets in the detection of emerged types of NV and could be used in the future for epidemiological diagnosis of infection with the virus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 222 Banpo-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul 137-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Byoung-Hwa
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Chonbuk National University, Iksan 570-390, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sung-Geun
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 222 Banpo-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul 137-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sang-Ha
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 222 Banpo-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul 137-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Ji-Young
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-9377-6670
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Environmental Infrastructure Research Department, National Institute of Environmental Research, Incheon 404-708, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Weon-Hwa
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Jheong
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 222 Banpo-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul 137-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Soon-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Paik
mesh_terms: D017250:Caliciviridae Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology*; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D029322:Norovirus / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D012367:RNA, Viral