Evaluation of a New Norovirus Genogroups GI and GII In Vitro Molecular Diagnostic Assay Using Clinical Specimens Collected from Acute Diarrheal Outbreaks.

Norovirus is a leading cause of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in Taiwan. To improve diagnosis as part of laboratory surveillance, AGE surveillance was conducted using a new fluorescent probe hydrolysis-based insulated isothermal polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method, the POCKIT system, and the results were compared with those obtained from conventional methods. A total of 119 clinical stool samples from reported AGE outbreaks were collected for this study. From 83 real-time reverse transcription PCR (rRT-PCR) norovirus-positive cases, the POCKIT system identified 78 with a sensitivity of 90.3% in GI genogroup and 96.7% in GII genogroup. The specificity for both GI and GII genogroups was 100%. Overall, the POCKIT system is faster and easier to use than the conventional rRT-PCR method, and because of its high sensitivity and specificity, this system is a promising alternative for the detection of norovirus in patients with AGE, and would benefit public health laboratories for near real-time surveillance of AGE epidemic outbreaks.

The circulation of subgenogroups B5 and C5 of enterovirus 71 in Taiwan from 2006 to 2007.

Enteroviruses (EVs) are among the most common pathogens in humans. EV71 infections have caused devastating enterovirus-associated outcomes in children globally. In this study, eleven EV71 isolates in Taiwan during 2006-2007 were selected for N-terminal VP1 gene analysis. A fragment of 403 bp on VP1 gene was sequenced and a phylogenetic analysis was performed. In addition, the full-length genome sequencing was carried out on two selected isolates. The results showed that subgenogroups of B5 and C5 had circulated and become predominant in Taiwan over the specified 2 years. Moreover, glutamic acid and threonine are found conservative at positions 43 and 58 on VP1 for genogroup B; however they are replaced by lysine and alanine, respectively, for genogroup C. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing the circulation of these two EV71 subgenogroups in Taiwan.