Norovirus infection among diarrhea cases in Shenzhen, 2008

Objective To investigate the prevalence of Norovirus infection among infectious viral diarrhea cases in Shenzhen and provide evidence for the prevention and treatment of diarrhea.Methods The stool samples were taken from 606 diarrhea patients to detect Norovirus by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase reaction (real-time RT-PCR).Results The infection rate of Norovirus was 24.26%（147/606）with 22.49% in male and 26.36% in female, respectively, and the infection rate was 11.54% among the cases aged 0-2 years, 0% among the cases aged 3-4 years, 31.25% among the cases aged 5-14 years and 22.86% among the cases aged 15-19 years and 26.48% among the cases aged 20 years.Conclusion Norovirus infection could occur all the year round, but the infection rate in winter is higher.People in all age group could be infected, but in this study no person aged 3-4 years was infected.It is necessary to strengthen the surveillance of Norovirus infection.