Detection of a novel recombinant strain of norovirus in an African-descendant community from the Amazon region of Brazil in 2008

Noroviruses, a major cause of acute gastroenteritis outbreaks worldwide, are constantly evolving. This ability is reflected in the speed and efficiency with which these viruses spread and remain in the human population. The present study reports the detection of a novel recombination event among norovirus genotypes in Brazil in 2008. A strain detected in a stool sample from a child with norovirus-associated gastroenteritis, residing in an African-descendant semi-closed community of Pará State, was characterized as a novel intergenotype recombinant, GII.7/GII.20, as determined by partial sequencing and SimPlot analysis.