Genetic diversity of noroviruses and sapoviruses in children hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Human caliciviruses, including norovirus (NoV) and sapovirus (SaV), are recognized as common pathogens that cause acute viral gastroenteritis in children and adults throughout the world. To gain an overview of molecular epidemiology of human caliciviruses in children hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis in Chiang Mai, Thailand, from 2002 to 2004, NoV and SaV were detected and characterized molecularly for identification of their genotypes. From a total of 248 fecal specimens collected, 35 (14.1%) were positive for NoV GII genogroup. Among the 35 NoV GII, GII/4 was the most predominant genotype (22 strains), followed by GII/3 (7 strains), GII/1 (2 strains), GII/7 (2 strains), GII/2 (1 strain), and GII/16 (1 strain). In addition, only three specimens (1.2%) were positive for SaV, each of which was classified into two different genogroups. One isolate was clustered with GIV genogroup, while the other two belonged to two distinct genotypes of the SaV GI cluster, GI/1 and GI/2 genotypes. This study demonstrated that human caliciviruses are important enteric viruses that caused acute gastroenteritis in the hospitalized children in Chiang Mai, Thailand from 2002 to 2004. Moreover, a great genetic diversities of NoV and SaV were observed.