Abstract Title
Molecular Characterization of Human Noroviruses among Children with Acute Gastroenteritis in Ebonyi State, Nigeria
Presenter
Olumuyiwa Babalola Salu, College of Medicine, University of Lagos
Co-Author(s)
Salu, Olumuyiwa Babalola1,2; Lay, Margarita Kam-Lem3; Igwe, Daniel Nweke4,5; Anyanwu, Roosevelt Amaobichukwu1; Orenolu, Mercy Remilekun1; Abdullah, Maryam Abiodun1 and Omilabu, Sunday Aremu1,2
1 Centre for Human and Zoonotic Virology, Central Research Laboratory, College of Medicine of the University of Lagos, Idi-araba, Lagos, Nigeria.
2 Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Medicine of the University of Lagos, Idi-Araba, Lagos, Nigeria.
3 Research Center for Immunology and Biomedical Biotechnology of Antofagasta, Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Marine Sciences and Biological Resources, Universidad de Antofagasta, Chile
4 Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Ndufu-Allike Ikwo, Ebonyi, Nigeria
5 Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Medicine, David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Uburu, Ebonyi, Nigeria
Abstract Category
Epidemology
Abstract
Abstract
Human noroviruses (HuNoV) are the main causes of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) worldwide, causing 699 million cases and more than 200,000 deaths per year. They remain a serious Public Health problem with no licensed or commercially vaccine available. In Nigeria, the health hazard posed by HuNoV is underestimated and under-reported. Thus, the study aimed to detect and characterise HuNoV among children under 5 years with AGE in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. A total of 143 diarrhoeic stool samples comprising 70 (49%) males, 40 (28%) females and 33 (23%) with no gender records were analysed by molecular techniques for HuNoV GI and GII at the Centre for Human and Zoonotic Virology, College of Medicine of the University of Lagos. Samples were analysed by Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction using norovirus GI and GII specific primers and the detected amplicons were sequenced. Specified amplicon band size (570bp) for HuNoV GII were detected in 24 (17%) of the 143 samples, while none was detected for HuNoV GI. The gender distribution of the GII positives were 11 (46%) males, 5 (21%) females and 8 (33%) with no gender records respectively. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis confirmed that the GII HuNoV genotype and variant were closely related to the GII.4 Sydney variant. The detection of HuNoV GII is a call for public health concerns particularly in Nigeria where the actual burden of HuNoV had not been determined. Thus, continued country-wide molecular surveillance of noroviruses is important to determine the actual burden and possible emergence of new strains.
Keywords: Human noroviruses, Genotype, Acute Gastroenteritis, Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction, Ebonyi.
Human noroviruses (HuNoV) are the main causes of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) worldwide, causing 699 million cases and more than 200,000 deaths per year. They remain a serious Public Health problem with no licensed or commercially vaccine available. In Nigeria, the health hazard posed by HuNoV is underestimated and under-reported. Thus, the study aimed to detect and characterise HuNoV among children under 5 years with AGE in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. A total of 143 diarrhoeic stool samples comprising 70 (49%) males, 40 (28%) females and 33 (23%) with no gender records were analysed by molecular techniques for HuNoV GI and GII at the Centre for Human and Zoonotic Virology, College of Medicine of the University of Lagos. Samples were analysed by Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction using norovirus GI and GII specific primers and the detected amplicons were sequenced. Specified amplicon band size (570bp) for HuNoV GII were detected in 24 (17%) of the 143 samples, while none was detected for HuNoV GI. The gender distribution of the GII positives were 11 (46%) males, 5 (21%) females and 8 (33%) with no gender records respectively. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis confirmed that the GII HuNoV genotype and variant were closely related to the GII.4 Sydney variant. The detection of HuNoV GII is a call for public health concerns particularly in Nigeria where the actual burden of HuNoV had not been determined. Thus, continued country-wide molecular surveillance of noroviruses is important to determine the actual burden and possible emergence of new strains.
Keywords: Human noroviruses, Genotype, Acute Gastroenteritis, Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction, Ebonyi.