Epidemiological and Genotypic Trends of Enteric Adenovirus, Astrovirus, and Sapovirus in Gwangju, Korea, 2017-2023.

Authors

Mi Hyeon Lim, Min Ji Kim, Ji-Eun Lee, Da Jeong Hwang, Kwang Ho Lee, Yi-Deun Ha, Gyung-Li Gang, Jihyoun Seong, Jung-Mi Seo

Published in

Journal of Korean medical science. Volume 41. Issue 27. Pages e142. Jul 13, 2026. Epub Jul 13, 2026.

Abstract

Acute gastroenteritis caused by enteric viruses remains a major public health concern, particularly in young children. While norovirus and group A rotavirus have been well investigated, data on enteric adenovirus, astrovirus, and sapovirus remain limited. This study aimed to investigate the long-term epidemiological and genotypic trends of enteric adenovirus (HAdV), astrovirus (HAstV), and sapovirus (SaV) in Gwangju, South Korea.
A total of 16,531 stool samples were collected from patients with acute gastroenteritis between 2017 and 2023 through the national surveillance system. Viral detection and genotyping were performed using standardized molecular methods, and phylogenetic analysis was conducted for selected strains.
The overall positivity rates were 2.2% for HAdV, 2.5% for HAstV, and 1.0% for SaV. Detection dropped to the lowest levels in 2020 and increased sharply in 2021-2022, particularly in children aged 0-5 years. This pattern likely reflects the impact of COVID-19-related public health measures and their relaxation. Genotypic analysis revealed a predominance of HAdV-F41, HAstV type 1, and SaV GI.1. Notably, while HAstV and SaV exhibited genotype diversity before 2020, type 1 and GI.1 became dominant thereafter. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated minimal genetic variation among dominant strains.
This seven-year surveillance highlights significant shifts in the prevalence and genotype distribution of underrecognized enteric viruses. The findings underscore the importance of sustained epidemiological and molecular monitoring to inform future public health strategies targeting enteric virus transmission.

PMID:
42444377
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 14 Jul 2026.

Read full publication at:
Please sign in to see all details.

Stats

1-terrible, 9-excellent. How would you rate this publication? Sign in in to submit your rating.

Post a comment

You need to be signed in to post comments. You can sign in here.

Comments

There are no comments yet.