A norovirus recombinant GII.P4_NewOrleans_2009/GII.4_Sydney_2012 was first detected in Victoria, Australia, in August 2015 at low frequency, and then re-emerged in June 2016, having undergone genetic changes.

Analysis of 14 years’ surveillance data from Victoria suggests a typical delay of two to seven months between first detection of a new variant and occurrence of a subsequent epidemic linked to that variant. We consider that the current recombinant strain has the potential to become a pandemic variant.

A norovirus intervariant GII.4 recombinant in Victoria, Australia, June 2016: The next epidemic variant?

Euro Surveill. 2016;21(39):pii=30353. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2016.21.39.30353

L Bruggink, M Catton, J Marshall

http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=22594