Norovirus compared to other relevant etiologies of acute gastroenteritis among families from a semirural county in Chile.

Objective: To determine the dynamics of norovirus disease, a major cause of acute gastroenteritis (AGE), compared to other relevant etiologies, among families living in a lower middle income area.

Study Design: Families with three or more members and with one or more healthy children <24 months of age were followed for 1-2 years to detect any AGE. Stool samples were tested for viral and bacterial pathogens and a questionnaire was completed for those with norovirus or rotavirus AGE.