Molecular epidemiology of human caliciviruses diarrhea among infants and young children in Lanzhou from December 2001 to June 2004 / 中华儿科杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the characteristics of human caliciviruses (HuCV) diarrhea among infants and young children with acute diarrhea in Lanzhou, Gansu Province, China by using molecular epidemiologic techniques.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Stool specimens were collected from both outpatients and inpatients with acute diarrhea in Lanzhou. Enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) was used to detect rotavirus antigen (RVA). Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reactions (RT-PCR) were used to detect HuCV in stool specimens of RV ELISA (-).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of the stool specimens collected from 515 cases in Lanzhou from December 2001 to June 2004, 264 were RVA ELISA (+) and 251 were RVA ELISA (-). Among all cases who were RVA ELISA (-), 25 (9.96%) were found positive for HuCV. HuCV was detected in 12 of 133 cases (9.02%) from December 2001 to November 2002, no genotyping was performed for these cases. From July 2003 to June 2004 13 of 118 cases (11.02%) were found positive for HuCV, of whom 11 cases had Norwalk-like virus GII (NLV GII) infection and 2 cases had Sapporo-like virus infection (one case had combined infection with astrovirus) and no NLV GI was found. HuCV infection mainly occurred in children under 2 years of age and no seasonal cluster was found.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>HuCV is one of the major etiological agents of viral diarrhea among infants and young children in Lanzhou. NLV GII maybe the predominant genotype.</p>