Norovirus strains in patients with acute gastroenteritis in rural and low-income urban areas in northern Brazil

Arch Virol. 2021 Mar;166(3):905-913. doi: 10.1007/s00705-020-04944-5. Epub 2021 Jan 19.

Abstract

From 2010-2016, a total of 251 stool samples were screened for norovirus using next-generation sequencing (NGS) followed by phylogenetic analysis to investigate the genotypic diversity of noroviruses in rural and low-income urban areas in northern Brazil. Norovirus infection was detected in 19.9% (50/251) of the samples. Eight different genotypes were identified: GII.4_Sydney[P31] (64%, 32/50), GII.6[P7] (14%, 7/50), GII.17[P17] (6%, 3/50), GII.1[P33] (6%, 3/50), GII.3[P16] (4%, 2/50), GII.2[P16] (2%, 1/50), GII.2[P2] (2%, 1/50), and GII.4_New Orleans[P4] (2%, 1/50). Distinct GII.6[P7] variants were recognized, indicating the presence of different co-circulating strains. Elucidating norovirus genetic diversity will improve our understanding of their potential health burden, in particular for the GII.4_Sydney[P31] variant.

MeSH terms

  • Base Sequence
  • Brazil / epidemiology
  • Caliciviridae Infections / epidemiology*
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Feces / virology
  • Gastroenteritis / epidemiology*
  • Gastroenteritis / virology
  • Genetic Variation / genetics
  • Genotype
  • High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
  • Humans
  • Molecular Epidemiology
  • Norovirus / classification
  • Norovirus / genetics*
  • Norovirus / isolation & purification*
  • Phylogeny
  • Poverty / statistics & numerical data*
  • RNA, Viral / genetics

Substances

  • RNA, Viral