lunes, 13 de octubre de 2014

Cambridge Journals Online - Epidemiology & Infection - Abstract - Epidemiological and molecular features of norovirus infections in Italian children affected with acute gastroenteritis

Cambridge Journals Online - Epidemiology & Infection - Abstract - Epidemiological and molecular features of norovirus infections in Italian children affected with acute gastroenteritis





Gastrointestinal infection

Epidemiological and molecular features of norovirus infections in Italian children affected with acute gastroenteritis

M. C. MEDICIa1 c1, F. TUMMOLOa1, V. MARTELLAa2, C. CHEZZIa1, M. C. ARCANGELETTIa1, F. DE CONTOa1 and A. CALDERAROa1

a1 Unit of Microbiology and Virology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
a2 Department of Veterinary Medicine, University Aldo Moro of Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy
SUMMARY
During a 5-year (2007–2011) surveillance period a total of 435 (15·34%) of 2834 stool specimens from children aged <14 years with acute gastroenteritis tested positive for norovirus and 217 strains were characterized upon partial sequence analysis of the polymerase gene as either genogroup (G)I or GII. Of the noroviruses, 99·2% were GII with the GII.P4 genotype being predominant (80%). GII.P4 variants (Yerseke 2006a, Den Haag 2006b, Apeldoorn 2008, New Orleans 2009) emerged sequentially during the study period. Sequence analysis of the capsid gene of 57 noroviruses revealed that 7·8% were recombinant (ORF1/ORF2) viruses including GII.P7_GII.6, GII.P16_GII.3, GII.P16_GII.13, GII.Pe_GII.2, and GII.Pe_GII.4, never identified before in Italy. GII.P1_GII.1, GII.P2_GII.1, GII.P3_GII.3 and GII.P6_GII.6 strains were also detected. Starting in 2011 a novel GII.4 norovirus with 3–4% nucleotide difference in the polymerase and capsid genes from variant GII.4 New Orleans 2009 was monitored in the local population. Since the epidemiology of norovirus changes rapidly, continuous surveillance is necessary to promptly identify the onset of novel types/variants.
(Received April 04 2013)
(Revised October 18 2013)
(Accepted December 11 2013)
(Online publication January 20 2014)
Key words
  • Gastroenteritis; 
  • GII.4 variant; 
  • norovirus; 
  • recombination
Correspondence
c1 Author for correspondence: Professor M. C. Medici, Unit of Microbiology and Virology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Parma, Viale Antonio Gramsci, 14–43126 Parma, Italy. (Email:mariacristina.medici@unipr.it)

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