Genetic diversity of noroviruses and rotaviruses circulating in Ukraine

Background: Acute intestinal infections (AII) represent one of themost significanthealthproblemsacross theworld.Among them rotaviruses of group A (RV) and noroviruses (NV) play a leading role in the structure of viral diarrhea in infants and children up to 5 years. The aim of this work was to study the genetic diversity of noroviruses and rotaviruses circulating in different regions of Ukraine. Methods &Materials: It was examined 537 fecal samples from children under the age of 5 years with AII in different geographical regions of Ukraine, representing north, south, east, west and center of the country and collected during the autumn and winter epidemic seasons of 2007–2012 yrs. (Fig. 1). Clinical specimens were tested for the presence of RV and NV with RT-PCR methods, ELISA and rapid tests based on immunochromatographic analysis. Genotyping of positive sampleswas performed via RT-PCRwith set of primers, specific for different RV and NV genotypes. Results: Results of the study showed that in Ukraine during epidemic periods in average 32.7% of the etiological agents of AII were NV with GI and GII genotypes, showing a significant advantage of GII genotype (77,52%) (Fig. 2). RV were etiological agents in 34% of AII cases. Result of genotyping discovered diversity of four major