Detection and molecular characterization of the novel recombinant norovirus GII.P16-GII.4 Sydney in southeastern Brazil in 2016

PLoS One. 2017 Dec 13;12(12):e0189504. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0189504. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

Noroviruses are the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in all age groups worldwide. Despite the high genetic diversity of noroviruses, most AGE outbreaks are caused by a single norovirus genotype: GII.4. Since 1995, several different variants of norovirus GII.4 have been associated with pandemics, with each variant circulating for 3 to 8 years. The Sydney_2012 variant was first reported in Australia and then in other countries. A new variant, GII.P16-GII.4, was recently described in Japan and South Korea and then in the USA, France, Germany and England. In our study, 190 faecal specimens were collected from children admitted to a paediatric hospital and a public health facility during a surveillance study of sporadic cases of AGE conducted between January 2015 and July 2016. The norovirus was detected by RT-qPCR in 51 samples (26.8%), and in 37 of them (72.5%), the ORF1-2 junction was successfully sequenced. The new recombinant GII.P16-GII.4 Sydney was revealed for the first time in Brazil in 2016 and predominated among other strains (9 GII.Pe-GII.4, 3 GII.P17-GII.17, 1 GII.Pg-GII.1, 1 GII.P16-GII.3 and 1 GII.PNA-GII.4). The epidemiological significance of this new recombinant is still unknown, but continuous surveillance studies may evaluate its impact on the population, its potential to replace the first recombinant GII.Pe-GII.4 Sydney 2012 variant, and the emergence of new recombinant forms of GII.P16.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Brazil / epidemiology
  • Caliciviridae Infections / epidemiology
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Norovirus / classification
  • Norovirus / genetics*
  • Phylogeny
  • Recombination, Genetic*
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Viral Proteins / chemistry

Substances

  • Viral Proteins

Grants and funding

This study was supported by Espírito Santo Research Foundation (FAPES)/National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq)/Department of Science and Technology (Decit) – Secretary of Science Technology and Strategic Inputs (SCTIE)—Health Ministry (MS)/Health's Secretary (SESA) (no.10/2013-PPSUS), and PROEP/CNPQ (no. 402135/2011-3). The first author had a scholarship from Espírito Santo Research Foundation (FAPES). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.