Emergence of multiple norovirus strains in Thailand, 2015-2017

Norovirus is a major cause of non-bacterial acute gastroenteritis worldwide. Infection can be sporadic or result in widespread outbreaks. The surveillance of norovirus samples (n = 1591) obtained from patients with diarrhea in Thailand from January 2015 to February 2017 suggested that the predominance of norovirus GII.4 often seen in sporadic infection had been superseded by the emergence of GII.17. More recently, a sharp increase in acute gastroenteritis associated with norovirus GII·P16-GII.2 recombinant strain was observed at the end of 2016. Thus, previously rare norovirus strains and their recombinant derivatives may be more frequently responsible for future outbreaks.