ABSTRACT
Objective@#To analyze the infection characteristics of patients in acute gastroenteritis outbreaks caused by noroviruses.@*Methods@#Between April 2014 and March 2016, the clinical data and samples were collected from the patients in acute gastroenteritis outbreaks caused by noroviruses in Beijing. Noroviruses were detected and genotyped using real time RT-PCR, and the infection characteristics of norovirus gastroenteritis were analyzed using the descriptive epidemiological method.@*Results@#A total of 1743 clinical diagnosed cases of norovirus gastroenteritis were collected, and children under 12 years old accounted for 77.68% (1354/1743). The detection rate of noroviruses was 73.98% (509/688). The detection rates of noroviruses in fecal, swab and vomitus samples were gradually decreased (χ2=67.798, P<0.001). Among these clinical diagnosed cases, vomiting was the most common symptom (93.98%), followed by abdominal pain (40.34%), diarrhea (30.35%) and fever (27.94%). The most common symptom of patients under 6 years old was vomiting(98.14%), whereas diarrhea was most common among over 18 years old patients (68.12%). With the increase of age of the patients, the incidence of vomiting was gradually decreased (χ2=100.913, P<0.001), whereas the incidence of diarrhea was gradually increased (χ2=261.164, P<0.001). There was no statistical difference in vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain symptoms between patients infected with genogroup Ⅰ and Ⅱ noroviruses, and patients infected with genogroup Ⅱ (34.49%, 149/432) had the higher incidence rate of fever than that of genogroup Ⅰ (18.18%, 14/77) (χ2=7.985, P<0.01).@*Conclusions@#Noroviruses mainly infected children under 12 years old in acute gastroentertis outbreaks. The most common symptom of patients with acute gastroenteritis caused by noroviruses was vomiting, and the incidences of vomiting and diarrhea were significantly correlated with age of the patients. Patients infected with genogroup Ⅱ had the higher incidence rate of fever than genogroup Ⅰ infection.