Diverse genotypes of norovirus genogroup I and II contamination in environmental water in Thailand during the COVID-19 outbreak from 2020 to 2022

Kattareeya Kumthip; Pattara Khamrin; Aksara Thongprachum; Rungnapa Malasao; Arpaporn Yodmeeklin; Hiroshi Ushijima; Niwat Maneekarn

doi:10.1016/j.virs.2024.05.010

August 2024

Citation: Kattareeya Kumthip, Pattara Khamrin, Aksara Thongprachum, Rungnapa Malasao, Arpaporn Yodmeeklin, Hiroshi Ushijima, Niwat Maneekarn. Diverse genotypes of norovirus genogroup I and II contamination in environmental water in Thailand during the COVID-19 outbreak from 2020 to 2022 .VIROLOGICA SINICA, 2024, 39(4) : 556-564. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.virs.2024.05.010

Diverse genotypes of norovirus genogroup I and II contamination in environmental water in Thailand during the COVID-19 outbreak from 2020 to 2022

a. Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand;
b. Center of Excellence (Emerging and Re-emerging Diarrheal Viruses), Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand;
c. Faculty of Public Health, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand;
d. Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand;
e. Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan

Corresponding author: Niwat Maneekarn, niwat.m@cmu.ac.th
Received Date: 18 December 2023
Accepted Date: 28 May 2024
Available online: 30 May 2024

Abstract

Noroviruses (NoVs) are the most significant viral pathogens associated with waterborne and foodborne outbreaks of nonbacterial acute gastroenteritis in humans worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and diversity of NoVs contaminated in the environmental water in Chiang Mai, Thailand. A total of 600 environmental water samples were collected from ten sampling sites in Chiang Mai from July 2020 to December 2022. The presence of NoV genogroups I (GI), GII, and GIV were examined using real-time RT-PCR assay. The genotype of the virus was determined by nucleotide sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. The results showed that NoV GI and GII were detected at 8.5% (51/600) and 11.7% (70/600) of the samples tested, respectively. However, NoV GIV was not detected in this study. NoV circulated throughout the year, with a higher detection rate during the winter season. Six NoV GI genotypes (GI.1-GI.6) and eight NoV GII genotypes (GII.2, GII.3, GII.7, GII.8, GII.10, GII.13, GII.17, and GII.21) were identified. Among 121 NoV strains detected, GII.17 was the most predominant genotype (24.8%, 30 strains), followed by GII.2 (21.5%, 26 strains), GI.3 (17.4%, 21 strains), and GI.4 (16.5%, 20 strains). Notably, NoV GII.3, GII.7, GII.8, and GII.10 were detected for the first time in water samples in this area. This study provides insight into the occurrence and seasonal pattern of NoV along with novel findings of NoV strains in environmental water in Thailand during the COVID-19 outbreak. Our findings emphasize the importance of further surveillance studies to monitor viral contamination in environmental water.
- Detection
- , Environmental water
- , Norovirus (NoVs)
- , Wastewater
- , Thailand

Electronic Supplementary Material

10.1016j.virs.2024.05.010-ESM.docx
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