Molecular Epidemiology of Human Enteric Caliciviruses in The Netherlands

In The Netherlands, illness due to Norwalk-like viruses (NLVs) of the family Caliciviridae is quite common. NLVs cause >80% of the outbreaks of gastroenteritis reported to municipal public health centers and at least 5% of the cases of gastroenteritis for which a general practitioner is consulted. In addition, up to 18% of community cases of gastroenteritis in the 1998/1999 winter season have been attributed to NLVs. Patterns of disease activity differ remarkably, with “normal” years, when outbreaks occur that are caused by different types of NLV, and “epidemic” years, when outbreaks appear... Mehr ...