Detection of Norovirus Variant GII.4 Hong Kong in Asia and Europe, 2017−2019
Martin C.W. Chan, Sunando Roy, Joseph Bonifacio, Lin-Yao Zhang, Preeti Chhabra, Jenny C.M. Chan, Cristina Celma, M.A. Igoy, Sin-Leung Lau, Kirran N. Mohammad, Jan Vinjé, Harry Vennema, Judith Breuer, Marion Koopmans, Miranda de Graaf, for NOROPATROL2
Abstract
N oroviruses are a genetically diverse group of RNA viruses found in a plethora of terrestrial, aerial, and aquatic mammalian species, including humans, pigs, cows, sheep, rats, bats, sea lions, and harbor porpoises (1). These viruses are classified into 48 genotypes, including the pandemic GII.4 genotype. In humans, norovirus is the cause of almost one fifth of all cases of acute gastroenteritis globally and the leading cause in all age groups (2,3). The highest disease burden has been documented in young children (4,5), whereas, in developed countries, infections have been associated with increased deaths in the elderly (6).