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

Abstract

Noroviruses, a major cause of acute gastroenteritis outbreaks worldwide, are constantly evolving. Thisability 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 in2008. A strain detected in a stool sample from a child with norovirus-associated gastroenteritis, residing in an Africandescendant semi-closed community of Paraº State, wascharacterized as a novel intergenotype recombinant, GII.7/ GII.20, as determined by partial sequencing and SimPlot analysis