Mapping and analysis of the knowledge graph on the current status and key issues in global research on Norovirus infections in children over the past 28 years

Norovirus (NoV) is a major pathogen responsible for acute gastroenteritis and outbreaks of diarrhea in humans. Children, due to their underdeveloped immune systems and higher risk of exposure, constitute a population with a relatively concentrated incidence of infection and disease burden. In recent years, research on NoV infections in children has been growing globally; however, there remains a lack of systematic quantitative analysis regarding the evolution of research themes, models of international collaboration, and future development directions in this field. Therefore, this study employs bibliometric methods to conduct a visual analysis of the knowledge structure, research hotspots, and development trends in the global field of NoV infection research in children, providing a reference for future scientific research and the formulation of prevention and control strategies. This study retrieved literature on pediatric NoV infections published between January 1998 and December 2025 from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database. Using CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and Bibliometrix software, we conducted a visual analysis of annual publication trends, countries/regions, institutions, authors, journals, keywords, and references to reveal the research trajectory, knowledge base, and cutting-edge directions in this field. This study included a total of 2,161 relevant publications. The results show that research on NoV infections in children worldwide has generally followed a steady upward trend, with activity remaining high in recent years. The United States, China, and Japan are the leading contributors to research in this field, with the United States exerting significant influence through international collaboration. The University of Tokyo, Emory University, and Chiang Mai University are the research institutions with the highest number of publications. Vinje, Jan; Ushijima, Hiroshi; and Khamrin, Pattara were the most prolific core authors, while Atmar, Robert L.; Lindesmith, Lisa C.; and Patel, Manish M. demonstrated strong academic influence. Keyword analysis revealed that research in this field primarily focuses on viral molecular characteristics, epidemiological features, and clinical manifestations in children, and is gradually expanding toward disease burden assessment, global prevention and control strategies, and vaccine development. Global research on NoV infections in children has evolved into a Multi-Disciplinary research framework driven by virology, epidemiology, clinical medicine, and public health. Current research focuses primarily on molecular epidemiology and genetic diversity, as well as epidemiological characteristics and outbreak transmission mechanisms, while the assessment of disease burden and the optimization of global prevention and control strategies are gradually emerging as key future research directions. In the future, international collaboration, multicenter surveillance, and interdisciplinary research should be further strengthened to advance research on pediatric NoV infection from describing disease characteristics toward precision surveillance, proactive prevention, and comprehensive control and prevention measures.