Frequency of norovirus in stool samples from hospitalized children due to acute gastroenteritis in Anatolia, Turkey, 2006–2007

Abstract

Noroviruses are among the most common causes of sporadic enteritis in childhood. In this pilot study, the frequency of norovirus infection in children in mid-western Turkey was investigated from November 2006 to June 2007. Noroviruses were detected in 17% of samples (15/88) by a combination of 2 different RT-PCR assays, both targeting an overlapping region of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase gene. By sequence analysis, most strains were characterized as GIIb/Hilversum. One strain was characterized as GII.4/2006a, a variant that appeared worldwide in 2006, while another strain was characterized as a rare genotype, GII.6. This study demonstrates the importance of norovirus in paediatric diarrhoea and suggests the heterogeneity of circulating strains in Turkey.