Epidemiology of Rotavirus-Norovirus Co-Infection and Determination of Norovirus Genogrouping among Children with Acute Gastroenteritis in Tehran, Iran.

BACKGROUND: Enteric viruses, particularly human rotavirus and norovirus, have been shown to replace bacteria and parasites, as the most common pathogens responsible for acute diarrhea. However, there are still few epidemiological data on the simultaneous occurrence of these viruses in Iran. In this regard, the aim of this study was to assess the useful epidemiological data on the gastroenteritis associated with rotavirus-norovirus mixed infection and to examine the prevalence of norovirus genogrouping among children aged less than five years old in Iran.

METHODS: A total of 170 stool samples were collected from children under five years of age with the clinical signs and symptoms of acute gastroenteritis, from May 2013 to May 2014. For the detection of both rotavirus and norovirus, total RNA was extracted from all samples, followed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). For both detected rotaviruses and noroviruses, genogrouping was performed.

RESULTS: Of 170 samples, 49 (28.8%) and 15 (8.8%) samples were found to be positive for rotavirus and norovirus infections by RT-PCR. Interestingly, 6 (3.5%) patients were positive for both infections. Among the 15 norovirus-positive patients, 13 (86.6%) and 2 (13.3%) belonged to genogroups GII and GI.

CONCLUSIONS: The norovirus genogroup GII and rotavirus lead to the serious infections in children with acute gastroenteritis. However, more well-designed studies are needed to further elucidate the role of other enteric viruses in acute gastroenteritis.