Enteric caliciviruses in domestic pigs in Hungary.

Caliciviruses closely related to human norovirus and sapovirus were recently detected in domestic pigs, causing discussions about the animal reservoir and the potential for zoonotic transmission to humans. To detect porcine caliciviruses, 17 fecal samples collected on two swine farms in southwestern Hungary were tested by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Three (17.

Co-circulation of genotype IA and new variant IB hepatitis A virus in outbreaks of acute hepatitis in Hungary--2003/2004.

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is one of the most important causes of acute infectious hepatitis worldwide. In Hungary, the reported number of HAV infections has been decreasing in the last four decades, nevertheless, still, each year 500-800 new cases and multiple outbreaks occur, particularly in the northeast region of Hungary. In Hungary, serology is used routinely to establish the diagnosis of HAV infection without genetic analysis of HAV strains for molecular epidemiology.

Identification of a novel variant of human hepatitis E virus in Hungary.

First human case of hepatitis E infection detected in Hungary is reported. This hepatitis E virus (HEV), Hungary1, belongs to genotype 3 and had 95% and 90% nucleotide identity within the capsid region of the European swine and human (Greece2) strains, respectively. Hungary1 represents a potential novel human variant of HEV in genus Hepevirus.

Epidemic spread of recombinant noroviruses with four capsid types in Hungary.

Background: Noroviruses are common pathogens in gastro-enteritis outbreaks in humans worldwide. Noroviruses are genetically diverse group of viruses with multiple genogroups (GG) and genotypes. More recently, naturally occurring recombinant noroviruses were described.

Evidence of the etiological predominance of norovirus in gastroenteritis outbreaks--emerging new-variant and recombinant noroviruses in Hungary.

Between January 2001 and December 2003, stool specimens from 262 (45%) of 581 reported outbreaks of gastroenteritis were investigated for noroviruses in Hungary. Specimens collected from outbreaks of non-bacterial gastroenteritis were examined by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and enzyme immunoassay. In 253 (97%) of 262 outbreaks, norovirus was detected and confirmed by sequencing in 211 (81%).