HBV genotypes and antiviral-resistant variants in HBV infected subjects in Northern Italy.

HBV genotypes were investigated in sera/plasma from 97 HBV positive subjects. Genotype D was revealed in 80.4% followed by E in 6.

Epidemiological aspects of human rotavirus infection in children hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis in an area of northern Italy.

Human rotavirus (HRV) is recognized as the most common cause of severe gastroenteritis in children under 5 years of age. Due to the lack of recent reports about the surveillance of HRV infection in Italy, in this study we assessed the prevalence rate of HRV infection on 1,340 stool samples belonging to 1,264 pediatric patients hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis in the period January 2000--December 2002. The stool samples were submitted to virological investigations by electron microscopy (EM) and conventional cell culture, as well as from January 2002 by RT-PCR for norovirus detection.