

@article {5610,
	title = {{Seasonal distribution and genetic diversity of genogroups I, II, and IV noroviruses in the Tamagawa River, Japan}},
	journal = {Environmental Science and Technology},
	volume = {44},
	number = {18},
	year = {2010},
	pages = {7116{\textendash}7122},
	abstract = {We investigated the prevalence, seasonal dependence, and genetic diversity of noroviruses (NoVs) in the Tamagawa River, which runs through a densely populated region in Tokyo, Japan, from April 2003 to March 2004. A total of 60 water samples were collected from five sites from upstream to downstream along the river, and 500 mL of which was concentrated using the "cation-coated filter method". Of the 60 samples tested, genogroup I (GI) and GII NoVs were detected from 28 (47{\%}) and 18 (30{\%}) samples, respectively. GIV NoV was successfully detected from 2 (3{\%}) samples with a newly developed seminested RT-PCR assay specific for GIV. The occurrence of NoVs in the river was significantly higher in winter/spring than in summer/autumn and also in mid- to downstream rather than upstream. A total of 176 different NoV strains were identified from river water samples based on the phylogenetic analysis of partial capsid gene sequences. GI, GII, and GIV strains were clustered into 7 (GI/1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, and 11), 8 (GII/2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, and 16), and 1 (GIV/1) genotypes, respectively. The results suggest that genetically diverse NoV strains are circulating between human populations and aquatic environments.},
	isbn = {1520-5851 (Electronic)$\backslash$r0013-936X (Linking)},
	issn = {0013936X},
	doi = {10.1021/es100346a},
	author = {Kitajima, Masaaki and Oka, Tomoichiro and Haramoto, Eiji and Takeda, Naokazu and Katayama, Kazuhiko and Katayama, Hiroyuki}
}
