Prolonged Shedding of Norovirus After Infection

Data from Oregon, primarily on GII.4 outbreaks, suggest that shedding can last for 3 weeks and that nonsecretor status is not protective.

Noroviruses, the leading cause of severe gastroenteritis worldwide, have 6 genogroups and 38 genotypes; strain GII.4 is most frequently associated with outbreaks (NEJM JW Infect Dis Mar 2013 and MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2013; 62:55). Histo-blood group antigens (HBGAs) may act as attachment factors for norovirus: People with a functional FUT2 gene (secretors) express HBGAs on mucosal epithelium; nonsecretors, who have a FUT2 mutation of guanine-to-adenine at codon 428, are presumed to be protected from norovirus infection.

The Oregon Department of Public Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have analyzed 10 selected norovirus outbreaks (9 related to strain GII.4) from November 2009 through January 2013. They studied…

Reviewing Author

Neil M. Ampel, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesCoccidioidomycosis Study Group (Past President, Secretary, Treasurer)

Neil M. Ampel, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesCoccidioidomycosis Study Group (Past President, Secretary, Treasurer)

Prolonged Shedding of Norovirus After Infection

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Reviewing Author