Norovirus Outbreak Surveillance, China, 2016-2018

• Published in: Emerging infectious diseases Vol. 26; no. 3; pp. 437 - 445
• Main Authors: Jin, Miao, Wu, Shuyu, Kong, Xiangyu, Xie, Huaping, Fu, Jianguang, He, Yaqing, Feng, Weihong, Liu, Na, Li, Jingxin, Rainey, Jeanette J, Hall, Aron J, Vinjé, Jan, Duan, Zhaojun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States U.S. National Center for Infectious Diseases 01.03.2020; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Subjects: acute gastroenteritis; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Caliciviridae Infections - epidemiology; Caliciviridae Infections - virology; Child; Child care; Child Health Services; Child, Preschool; China; China - epidemiology; Disease control; Disease Outbreaks; Diseases; Distribution; Epidemics; Epidemiology; Feces; Feces - virology; Female; Forecasts and trends; Gastroenteritis; Gastroenteritis - epidemiology; Gastroenteritis - virology; Genotype; Genotype & phenotype; Health surveillance; Humans; Male; Medical laboratories; Middle Aged; Norovirus; Norovirus - genetics; Norovirus - isolation & purification; Norovirus Outbreak Surveillance, China, 2016–2018; outbreak; Public health; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; Seasons; Sentinel surveillance; surveillance; Viruses; Waterborne infections; Winter; Young Adult; China; Beijing China; United States > US; viruses; Norovirus; China; enteric infections; outbreak; surveillance; acute gastroenteritis
• ISSN: 1080-6040; 1080-6059
• DOI: 10.3201/eid2603.191183

CaliciNet China, a network of provincial, county, and city laboratories coordinated by the Chinese Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was launched in October 2016 to monitor the epidemiology and genotype distribution of norovirus outbreaks in China. During October 2016-September 2018, a total of 556 norovirus outbreaks were reported, and positive fecal samples from 470 (84.5%) outbreaks were genotyped. Most of these outbreaks were associated with person-to-person transmission (95.1%), occurred in childcare centers or schools (78.2%), and were reported during November-March of each year (63.5%). During the 2-year study period, 81.2% of all norovirus outbreaks were typed as GII.2[P16]. In China, most norovirus outbreaks are reported by childcare centers or schools; GII.2[P16] is the predominant genotype. Ongoing surveillance by CaliciNet China will provide information about the evolving norovirus genotype distribution and outbreak characteristics important for the development of effective interventions, including vaccines.