title: Virus Genotype Distribution and Virus Burden in Children and Adults Hospitalized for Norovirus Gastroenteritis, 2012-2014, Hong Kong.
abstract: We conducted a 2-year hospital-based study on norovirus gastroenteritis among children and adults between August 2012 and September 2014. A total of 1,146 norovirus cases were identified. Young children (aged ≤ 5 years) accounted for a majority (53.3%) of cases. Hospitalization incidence exhibited a U-shaped pattern with the highest rate in young children (1,475 per 100,000 person-years), followed by the elderly aged > 84 years (581 per 100,000 person-years). A subset (n = 395, 34.5%) of cases were selected for norovirus genotyping and noroviral load measurement. Non-GII.4 infections were more commonly observed in young children than in older adults (aged > 65 years) (20.5% versus 9.2%; p < 0.05). In young children, the median noroviral load of GII.4 and non-GII.4 cases was indistinguishably high (cycle threshold value, median [interquartile range]: 16.6 [15.2-19.3] versus 16.6 [14.9-21.6]; p = 0.45). Two age-specific non-GII.4 genotypes (GII.3 and GII.6) were identified among young children. These findings may have implications in norovirus vaccination strategy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Martin C W
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ting F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Tracy W S
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Angela K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Kwok
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: E Anthony S
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Nelson
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Paul K S
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017250:Caliciviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000266:history / Q000821:virology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000266:history / Q000821:virology*; D005838:Genotype; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D029322:Norovirus / Q000235:genetics*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D019562:Viral Load; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral