Sun Yi, Yuan Yongjuan, Mao Haiyan, Su Lingxuan, Ge Qiong, Gao Jian, Xu Changping, Gong Liming
Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Jia Shan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Jiaxing, Zhejiang, China.
Adv Virol. 2024 May 30;2024:7972494. doi: 10.1155/2024/7972494. eCollection 2024.
Noroviruses are the most frequent cause of epidemic acute viral gastroenteritis in China.
The aim of this study was to determine the molecular epidemiological characteristics of norovirus outbreaks and the molecular genetic features of norovirus in Zhejiang Province during 2021.
First, the local Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the outbreak area conducted on-site epidemiologic investigations and collected samples from ill patients for initial testing. The general epidemiologic characteristics of the demographic information are presented through descriptive analysis. Positive samples were sent to the Microbiology Laboratory of Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention for further verification. The presence of norovirus genogroups I (GI) and II (GII), along with sapovirus, was detected. Subsequently, the specimens positive for norovirus were sequenced for genotyping purposes. Furthermore, the whole genomes of positive samples were sequenced, enabling the characterization of both nucleotide and amino acid differences within the virus. Finally, phylogenetic trees were constructed to further analyze and understand the genetic relationships among the detected viruses.
227 norovirus outbreaks were reported in Zhejiang Province, China, during 2021. Schools were the main setting while January was the peak month for outbreaks. A total of 17 diverse genotypes of norovirus were identified in 2021, and GII.P16-GII.2 was the most frequent genotype (30.19%). Seven genomes (five GI.P4-GI.5 and two GII.P16-GII.2) were obtained. Although GI.P4-GI.5 is considered to be a rare genotype of norovirus, the prevalence might have been underestimated. Capsid microvariation of GII.2 displayed histo-blood group antigen binding patterns compared to the GII.2 prototype, although VP1 sequences were considered to have a minimal impact on antigenicity.
This study revealed the diversity of norovirus strains' genotypes circulating in Zhejiang Province in 2021. Continued molecular surveillance of noroviruses should be strengthened in our further efforts to the development of vaccines.
诺如病毒是中国流行性急性病毒性胃肠炎最常见的病因。
本研究旨在确定2021年浙江省诺如病毒暴发的分子流行病学特征以及诺如病毒的分子遗传学特征。
首先，疫情发生地的当地疾病预防控制中心进行现场流行病学调查，并从患病患者中采集样本进行初步检测。通过描述性分析呈现人口统计学信息的一般流行病学特征。阳性样本被送至浙江省疾病预防控制中心微生物实验室进行进一步验证。检测诺如病毒基因组I型（GI）和II型（GII）以及札幌病毒的存在。随后，对诺如病毒阳性标本进行测序以进行基因分型。此外，对阳性样本的全基因组进行测序，以表征病毒内的核苷酸和氨基酸差异。最后，构建系统发育树以进一步分析和了解所检测病毒之间的遗传关系。
2021年中国浙江省报告了227起诺如病毒暴发。学校是主要场所，1月是暴发的高峰月份。2021年共鉴定出17种不同的诺如病毒基因型，GII.P16-GII.2是最常见的基因型（30.19%）。获得了7个基因组（5个GI.P4-GI.5和2个GII.P16-GII.2）。尽管GI.P4-GI.5被认为是诺如病毒的一种罕见基因型，但其流行率可能被低估了。与GII.2原型相比，GII.2的衣壳微变异显示出组织血型抗原结合模式，尽管VP1序列被认为对抗原性影响最小。
本研究揭示了2021年浙江省流行的诺如病毒株基因型的多样性。在我们进一步研发疫苗的努力中，应加强对诺如病毒的持续分子监测。
