Premium
Detection and characterization of human caliciviruses in hospitalized children with acute gastroenteritis in Blantyre, Malawi
Author(s) -
Dove Winifred,
Cunliffe Nigel A.,
Gondwe Jailosi S.,
Broadhead Robin L.,
Molyneux Malcolm E.,
Nakagomi Osamu,
Hart C. Anthony
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/jmv.20488
Subject(s) - virology , acute gastroenteritis , biology
The human caliciviruses (HuCVs), including Norovirus and Sapovirus , are recognized causes of acute gastroenteritis in children and adults. A 1‐year study was undertaken in Blantyre, Malawi, to examine the prevalence, and genetic diversity, of human caliciviruses (HuCVs) amongst children under 5 years of age hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis. Using the reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR), combined with nucleotide sequencing of the RT‐PCR products, HuCVs were detected in 34/398 (8.5%) of children. Twelve (35.3%) of the children were co‐infected with additional enteric viruses (predominantly rotavirus). The HuCVs comprised 26 Noroviruses (6.5%) and 8 Sapoviruses (2.0%). Each of the Noroviruses belonged to genogroup II, and could be further classified into six genotypes, including GII/3 (18 strains), GII/4 (2 strains), GII/11 (1 strain), GII/13 (1 strain), GII/16 (2 strains), and a putative new genotype GII/20 (2 strains). Each of the Sapoviruses belonged to genogroup GIII. HuCVs are the second most commonly identified viral enteropathogens (after rotavirus) among hospitalized children with gastroenteritis in Malawi. J. Med. Virol. 77:522–527, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, inc.