Emerging Infectious Diseases (Jan 2019)

Higher Viral Load of Emerging Norovirus GII.P16-GII.2 than Pandemic GII.4 and Epidemic GII.17, Hong Kong, China

  • Sarah K.C. Cheung,
  • Kirsty Kwok,
  • Lin-Yao Zhang,
  • Kirran N. Mohammad,
  • Grace C.Y. Lui,
  • Nelson Lee,
  • E. Anthony S. Nelson,
  • Raymond W.M. Lai,
  • Ting F. Leung,
  • Paul K.S. Chan,
  • Martin Chi-Wai Chan

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2501.180395
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 25, no. 1
pp. 119 – 122

Abstract

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We compared viral load of emerging recombinant norovirus GII.P16-GII.2 with those for pandemic GII.Pe-GII.4 and epidemic GII.P17-GII.17 genotypes among inpatients in Hong Kong. Viral load of GII.P16-GII.2 was higher than those for other genotypes in different age groups. GII.P16-GII.2 is as replication competent as the pandemic genotype, explaining its high transmissibility and widespread circulation.

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