Viral Agents Associated with Acute Gastroenteritis in Seoul, Korea

Background: The present study was carried out to describe the epidemiologic characteristics of viral gastroenteritis and determine the phylogenetic composition of norovirus strains detected in hospitalized children with acute gastroenteritis in Seoul, Korea. Methods and Results: In total, 10,603 stool samples were collected from 2004 to 2008 and tested by RT-PCR or ELISA. In 4,170 (39.3 %)) samples at least one viral pathogen was present. Rotavirus (RoV) (1,864, 17.5 %) was found to be the causative agent followed by norovirus (NoV) (1,845, 17.4 %), human adenovirus (HAdV) (266, 2.5 %), human astrovirus (HAstV) (194, 1.8 %), and sapovirus (SV) (1, 0.009 %. Five GI genotypes (GI-1, GI-3, GI-4, GI-8, and GI-9) and eight GII genotypes (GII-2, GII-3, GII-4, GII-6, GII-7, GII-12, GII-16, and GII-17) of NoV were identified in acute gastroenteritis patients in 2008. Conclusions: The genetic characteristics of norovirus and the epidemiologic patterns of a viral pathogen from acute gastroenteritis patients may give potentially effective data for epidemiological studies in Seoul, Korea. (Clin. Lab. 2011;57:59-65)