TY - JOUR
T1 - Molecular epidemiology of norovirus infections in sporadic cases of viral gastroenteritis among children in Northern Italy
AU - Medici, Maria Cristina
AU - Martinelli, Monica
AU - Abelli, Laura Anna
AU - Ruggeri, Franco Maria
AU - Di Bartolo, Ilaria
AU - Arcangeletti, Maria Cristina
AU - Pinardi, Federica
AU - De Conto, Flora
AU - Izzi, Giancarlo
AU - Bernasconi, Sergio
AU - Chezzi, Carlo
AU - Dettori, Giuseppe
PY - 2006/11
Y1 - 2006/11
N2 - Surveillance of norovirus infections in sporadic cases of pediatric gastroenteritis admitted to a main hospital in Northern Italy during a full-year period (2002) showed that noroviruses (10.4%) were the second most common causative viral agent, following rotaviruses (21.1%), and noroviruses (81%) were mostly implicated in mixed infections. The epidemic period of norovirus was September-December, with September and November as months of major prevalence (33.3 and 38.5%, respectively). Six distinct norovirus genotypes were detected (GI.7, GII.1, GII.2, GII.4, GII.7, GII, not assigned named GIIb), and the predominant genotype was GII.4. A "new GII.4 2002 variant" accounted for 82.9% of total strains. Since the severity of norovirus symptoms does not usually require admission to hospital, the burden of norovirus disease in the general children population may be much higher than that suggested by the present hospital-based investigation.
AB - Surveillance of norovirus infections in sporadic cases of pediatric gastroenteritis admitted to a main hospital in Northern Italy during a full-year period (2002) showed that noroviruses (10.4%) were the second most common causative viral agent, following rotaviruses (21.1%), and noroviruses (81%) were mostly implicated in mixed infections. The epidemic period of norovirus was September-December, with September and November as months of major prevalence (33.3 and 38.5%, respectively). Six distinct norovirus genotypes were detected (GI.7, GII.1, GII.2, GII.4, GII.7, GII, not assigned named GIIb), and the predominant genotype was GII.4. A "new GII.4 2002 variant" accounted for 82.9% of total strains. Since the severity of norovirus symptoms does not usually require admission to hospital, the burden of norovirus disease in the general children population may be much higher than that suggested by the present hospital-based investigation.
KW - GII.4 2002 variant
KW - Mixed infections
KW - Norovirus genotypes
KW - Phylogenetic analysis
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U2 - 10.1002/jmv.20723
DO - 10.1002/jmv.20723
M3 - Article
C2 - 16998898
AN - SCOPUS:33749559015
VL - 78
SP - 1486
EP - 1492
JO - Journal of Medical Virology
JF - Journal of Medical Virology
SN - 0146-6615
IS - 11
ER -