Detection and characterization of human caliciviruses in hospitalized children with acute gastroenteritis in Blantyre, Malawi

✍ Scribed by Winifred Dove; Nigel A. Cunliffe; Jailosi S. Gondwe; Robin L. Broadhead; Malcolm E. Molyneux; Osamu Nakagomi; C. Anthony Hart

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2005
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 119 KB
• Volume: 77
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0146-6615
• DOI: 10.1002/jmv.20488

✦ Synopsis

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.