Molecular detection and genetic diversity of norovirus in hospitalized young adults with acute gastroenteritis in Bahia, Brazil.

The molecular epidemiology of a recent norovirus (NoV) outbreak in Brazil performed by comparative analysis with Genebank NoV sequences showed that the GII.4 strain was responsible for 72.5% of all NoV-positive cases (58/80). Other detected NoV strains included GII.3 (7/80; 8.8%) and GII.9 (8/80; 10%). This is the first outbreak reported in Bahia state, Brazil, during June-July of 2006, where NoV was identified as the principal etiologic agent in hospitalized young adults with acute gastroenteritis symptoms. These findings suggest that GII.4 is a predominant circulating genotype in NoV outbreaks in Brazil.