Key result
Molecular sewage surveillance in Japan identifies multiple norovirus genotypes including a novel recombinant strain.
Why the study?
RNA recombination is a major driving force in norovirus evolution, but the incidence of norovirus recombination in residential areas was not well characterized.
Observational
A novel recombinant norovirus (GII/7-GII/13) was detected in sewage water in Japan, highlighting the role of recombination in norovirus evolution.
Environmental surveillance may guide norovirus monitoring; leaves open the recombinant strain's clinical and epidemiological impact.
Recently, the recombination event of norovirus (NoV) has been reported with high frequency, suggesting that RNA recombination is a major driving force in NoV evolution. To assess the incidence of NoV recombination in a residential area, we conducted a molecular biological survey of NoVs existing in sewage water in Toyama Prefecture, Japan. Although GII/4 was predominantly detected in sewage water that was associated with a high frequency of outbreaks caused by this genotype, other genotypes, including two types of recombinant strain, were identified during the survey period. One of the recombinants is the WUG1 type, which was first detected in Saitama Prefecture in 2000. The other recombinant is a novel type derived from two parent strains of genogroup II, GII/7 for the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and GII/13 for the capsid. This suggests that certain NoVs circulating in the area are occasionally changing their genetic properties by recombination events.
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Nakamura et al. (2009) conducted an observational in Norovirus. Sewage water surveillance for Norovirus was evaluated on Detection and genetic characterization of recombinant Norovirus strains. Molecular surveillance of sewage water in Japan identified multiple norovirus genotypes, including a novel recombinant strain derived from GII/7 and GII/13 ancestors.
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