title: Molecular Epidemiology and Genetic Diversity of Norovirus in Young Children in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
abstract: This study investigated the genetic diversity of noroviruses identified from a previous surveillance study conducted at the National Pediatric Hospital in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, from 2004 to 2006. In the previous study, 926 stool samples were collected from children aged 3-60 months with acute diarrhea (cases) and without diarrhea (controls) with reported 6.7% of cases and 3.2% of controls being positive for norovirus. The initial norovirus diagnostic assay was performed with real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (real-time RT PCR) which also distinguished between genogroups I and II (GI and GII). Norovirus infection was most commonly detected in children aged 12-23 months in both cases and controls. Norovirus Genotyping Tool and phylogenetic analysis of partial sequences of the 3' end of the RNA-dependent RNA Polymerase (RdRp) and the capsid domain region were employed to assign genotypes of the norovirus strains. GII.4 was the most predominant capsid genotype detected at 39.5% followed by GII.6 at 14.9%. The GII.4 Hunter 2004 variant was the predominant strain detected. Six RdRP/capsid recombinants including GII.P7/GII.6, GII.P7/GII.14, GII.P7/GII.20, GII.P12/GII.13, GII.P17/GII.16, and GII.P21/GII.3 were also identified. This study of norovirus infection in young children in Cambodia suggests genetic diversity of norovirus as reported worldwide.
authors.affiliation: Department of Enteric Diseases, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, 315/6 Rajvithi Road, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.
authors.forename: Kaewkanya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakjarung
authors.affiliation: Department of Enteric Diseases, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, 315/6 Rajvithi Road, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.
authors.forename: Ladaporn
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-6965-9183
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bodhidatta
authors.affiliation: Department of Enteric Diseases, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, 315/6 Rajvithi Road, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.
authors.forename: Pimmnapar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Neesanant
authors.affiliation: Department of Enteric Diseases, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, 315/6 Rajvithi Road, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.
authors.forename: Paphavee
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lertsethtakarn
authors.affiliation: Department of Enteric Diseases, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, 315/6 Rajvithi Road, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.
authors.forename: Orntipa
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sethabutr
authors.affiliation: National Pediatric Hospital, 100 Russian Federation Boulevard, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
authors.forename: Ket
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vansith
authors.affiliation: National Pediatric Hospital, 100 Russian Federation Boulevard, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
authors.forename: Chhour Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: Department of Enteric Diseases, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, 315/6 Rajvithi Road, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.
authors.forename: Brett E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Swierczewski
authors.affiliation: Department of Enteric Diseases, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, 315/6 Rajvithi Road, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.
authors.forename: Carl J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Mason