Genetic classification of "Norwalk-like viruses

Abstract

Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction has been used worldwide for the diagnosis of Norwalk-like virus (NLV) infection, yet a commonly accepted genetic classification scheme has not been established. Amino acid sequences from four regions of open-reading frame 2 (ORF2) were used to analyze 101 NLV strains, including 2 bovine strains. On the basis of this analysis, a genetic classification scheme is proposed that differentiates 99 human strains into 2 major genetic groups consisting of 5 and 10 genetic clusters, respectively. The 2 bovine strains constitute a newly defined third major genetic group composed of 2 putative clusters represented by each strain. This classification scheme is well supported by the analysis of the entire ORF2 sequences from 38 strains selected to represent the genetic diversity of the human strains used above. This scheme should provide a firm scientific basis for the unified classification of NLV strains detected around the world.