MOLECULAR DETECTION OF NOROVIRUS IN CHILDREN PRESENTING WITH DIARRHEA IN OGUN STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Norovirus (NoV) is amongst the eminent etiological agent of viral gastroenteritis outbreaks worldwide. Apart from rotavirus, NoV plays a rising and crucial role in enteric infection in children, particularly during the post-rotavirus vaccination period. Among the three human norovirus strains discovered, GII genogroup is more prevalent in Nigeria and they also occur during the dry season. Children infected with NoV typically exhibit classic clinical signs of acute viral gastroenteritis, such as vomiting and liquid stools, and paediatric patients are more likely to develop dehydration that necessitates hospitalisation. Although most NoVs infection symptoms are self-limiting, recurring infection is not uncommon in children. However, its incidence is rarely reported in developing countries such as Nigeria. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Norovirus in children below the age of five presenting with diarrhea in Ogun State, Nigeria. With the consent of the caretakers, a questionnaire was provided, and 100 stool samples were obtained from children who had diarrhoea. Viral RNA was isolated from the samples using molecular methods and tested for the presence of Norovirus using RT-Nested PCR. Samples were amplified by PCR using specific primers to make the result more legible. The collected data were statistically analysed using SPSS version 20. Analysis of the samples showed the prevalence of Norovirus to be 6%, of which 4% were male and 2% were female. Subsequent investigation found that children under the age of two were more impacted than children beyond the age of two. This, however, was not statistically relevant. The P-value of > 0.05 is significant. In conclusion, this study established the importance of NoV as a cause of paediatric diarrhoea and identified norovirus as one of the common causative agents of paediatric illness in circulation in Ogun State, Nigeria. Norovirus gastroenteritis is a public health hazard that requires quick action to prevent future spread.