Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
J Clin Virol. 2012 Mar;53(3):244-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jcv.2011.12.014. Epub 2012 Jan 12.
Human noroviruses (HuNoVs) are one of the leading causes of diarrhoeal diseases worldwide in all age groups. Virus transmission can occur via the faecal-oral route from person to person or via contaminated food, water, or surfaces. The most common NoV strains circulating among humans belong to genogroup GII. Thus far, to our knowledge, no HuNoVs have been detected in pets.
We investigated whether pet dogs could serve as carriers for HuNoVs and thereby transmit the infection to humans.
Ninety-two faecal samples of indoor pet dogs were obtained. The main criteria for sample collection were that the dog or humans in the household had suffered from diarrhoea or vomiting. All samples were screened for HuNoV genogroups GI, GII, and GIV by real-time one-step RT-PCR.
We detected HuNoV in four faecal samples from pet dogs that had been in direct contact with symptomatic persons. Three of the positive samples contained genotype GII.4 variant 2006b or 2008 and one GII.12. All NoV-positive dogs lived in households with small children and two dogs showed mild symptoms.
Our results suggest that HuNoVs can survive in the canine gastrointestinal tract. Whether these viruses can replicate in dogs remains unresolved, but an association of pet dogs playing a role in transmission of NoVs that infect humans is obvious.
人类诺如病毒（HuNoVs）是全球所有年龄段人群腹泻病的主要病因之一。病毒可以通过人与人之间的粪-口途径或通过受污染的食物、水或表面进行传播。在人类中传播的最常见的 NoV 株属于基因 GII。据我们所知，目前还没有在宠物中检测到 HuNoVs。
我们研究了宠物狗是否可以作为 HuNoVs 的携带者，并将感染传播给人类。
收集了 92 份室内宠物狗的粪便样本。样本采集的主要标准是狗或家中的人曾患有腹泻或呕吐。所有样本均通过实时一步 RT-PCR 筛查 HuNoV 基因 GIG、GII 和 GIV。
我们从与有症状的人直接接触的四只宠物狗的粪便中检测到 HuNoV。三个阳性样本含有基因型 GII.4 变体 2006b 或 2008 型和一个 GII.12 型。所有 NoV 阳性的狗都生活在有小孩的家庭中，其中两只狗有轻微症状。
我们的结果表明 HuNoVs 可以在犬的胃肠道中存活。这些病毒是否可以在狗体内复制尚不清楚，但宠物狗在传播感染人类的 NoVs 方面发挥作用的关联是显而易见的。
