Norovirus infections in young children in Lusaka Province, Zambia: clinical characteristics and molecular epidemiology

BMC Infectious Diseases

Research Article

Michelo Simuyandi¹  Mpanji Siwingwa¹  M. Brad Guffey¹  Innocent Mwape¹  Roma Chilengi²  Kathryn M. Edwards³  Leigh M. Howard³  Benjamin H. Chi⁴  Jeffrey S. A. Stringer⁴ 

[1] Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ), P.O. Box 34681, 10101, Lusaka, Zambia;Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ), P.O. Box 34681, 10101, Lusaka, Zambia;Division of Global Women’s Health, University of North Carolina (UNC) – Chapel Hill, 130 Mason Farm Rd., 2nd Floor, Campus Box #7030, 27599-7030, Chapel Hill, NC, USA;Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, D-7228 MCN; 1161 21st Ave S, 37232, Nashville, TN, USA;Division of Global Women’s Health, University of North Carolina (UNC) – Chapel Hill, 130 Mason Farm Rd., 2nd Floor, Campus Box #7030, 27599-7030, Chapel Hill, NC, USA;

关键词: Norovirus;    Young children;    Zambia;    Diarrhea;    Gastroenteritis;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12879-017-2206-2

 received in 2016-08-17, accepted in 2017-01-16,  发布年份 2017

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundThe burden, clinical features, and molecular epidemiology of norovirus infection in young children in southern Africa are not well defined.MethodsUsing data from a health facility-based surveillance study of children <5 years in Lusaka Province, Zambia presenting with diarrhea, we assessed the burden of norovirus infection. A convenience sample of 454 stool specimens was tested for norovirus using reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RT-PCR positive samples underwent additional nucleotide sequencing for genogroup and genotype identification. Clinical features and severity of diarrheal illnesses were compared between norovirus-positive and -negative subjects using Chi-squared and t-tests.ResultsNorovirus was detected in 52/454 (11.5%) specimens tested. Abdominal pain, fever, and vomiting were the most common presenting features in norovirus-associated illnesses. However, there were no significant differences in the clinical features of norovirus-positive compared to norovirus-negative illnesses. Of 43 isolates that were available for sequencing, 31 (72.1%) were genogroup II (GII) and 12 (27.9%) were genogroup I (GI). The distribution of genotypes was diverse.ConclusionsNoroviruses were detected in approximately 10% of young children with diarrhea in the Lusaka Province of Zambia, with GII representing the majority of infections. These findings support the role of norovirus in symptomatic diarrhea disease in Africa. Further studies are needed to confirm these observations and to evaluate prevention strategies.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s). 2017