1. Virus Genotype Distribution and Virus Burden in Children and Adults Hospitalized for Norovirus Gastroenteritis, 2012-2014, Hong Kong.
- Author
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Chan MC, Leung TF, Chung TW, Kwok AK, Nelson EA, Lee N, and Chan PK
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Adult, Age Distribution, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Caliciviridae Infections history, Child, Child, Preschool, Feces virology, Female, Gastroenteritis history, History, 21st Century, Hong Kong epidemiology, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Male, Middle Aged, RNA, Viral genetics, Young Adult, Caliciviridae Infections epidemiology, Caliciviridae Infections virology, Gastroenteritis epidemiology, Gastroenteritis virology, Genotype, Hospitalization, Norovirus genetics, Viral Load
- Abstract
We conducted a 2-year hospital-based study on norovirus gastroenteritis among children and adults between August 2012 and September 2014. A total of 1,146 norovirus cases were identified. Young children (aged ≤ 5 years) accounted for a majority (53.3%) of cases. Hospitalization incidence exhibited a U-shaped pattern with the highest rate in young children (1,475 per 100,000 person-years), followed by the elderly aged > 84 years (581 per 100,000 person-years). A subset (n = 395, 34.5%) of cases were selected for norovirus genotyping and noroviral load measurement. Non-GII.4 infections were more commonly observed in young children than in older adults (aged > 65 years) (20.5% versus 9.2%; p < 0.05). In young children, the median noroviral load of GII.4 and non-GII.4 cases was indistinguishably high (cycle threshold value, median [interquartile range]: 16.6 [15.2-19.3] versus 16.6 [14.9-21.6]; p = 0.45). Two age-specific non-GII.4 genotypes (GII.3 and GII.6) were identified among young children. These findings may have implications in norovirus vaccination strategy.
- Published
- 2015
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