Norovirus is a significant cause of pediatric gastroenteritis requiring hospitalization in Northern Italy, with the GII.4 variant being the predominant strain.
Supports norovirus monitoring in Northern Italian pediatric wards; leaves open vaccine impact and genotype evolution without longitudinal data.
Surveillance of norovirus infections in sporadic cases of pediatric gastroenteritis admitted to a main hospital in Northern Italy during a full-year period (2002) showed that noroviruses (10.4%) were the second most common causative viral agent, following rotaviruses (21.1%), and noroviruses (81%) were mostly implicated in mixed infections. The epidemic period of norovirus was September-December, with September and November as months of major prevalence (33.3 and 38.5%, respectively). Six distinct norovirus genotypes were detected (GI.7, GII.1, GII.2, GII.4, GII.7, GII, not assigned named GIIb), and the predominant genotype was GII.4. A "new GII.4 2002 variant" accounted for 82.9% of total strains. Since the severity of norovirus symptoms does not usually require admission to hospital, the burden of norovirus disease in the general children population may be much higher than that suggested by the present hospital-based investigation.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Medici et al. (2006) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: