NoroNet

The aim of Noronet is

• To enlarge the knowledge on geographical and temporal trends in the emergence and spread of Norovirus variants, thus limiting the impact and scale of future Norovirus epidemics.
• A second aim is the design of a well founded standardized nomenclature for existing and emerging Norovirus genotypes and variants or sub-lineages.

The network maintains a shared database accessible via the Internet for data entry, sharing and analysis.

By prospectively sharing information on Norovirus activity we can chart the global spread, recognize changes in circulating strains and possible changes in the epidemiology of the virus and thus potentially predict epidemic seasons.

 

 

Activities

The activities of NoroNet are:

• Retrospective global comparison of norovirus GII.4 variant strains
• Prospective monitoring of GII.4 situation
• Setting up a standardized nomenclature for noroviruses
• Setup of a typing library
• E-mail network for rapid alerts and new variants
• Data-sharing platform for combined epidemiological and virological data

 

 

Since 1999 the FBVE network has maintained a joint database in which members have shared their data.

First a joint database was made for foodborne outbreaks caused by different viruses.

 

In 2008, using new software, separate databases were set up for different pathogens, of which the norovirus en hepatitis A database are available on the web.

 

The work of the network has been supported through three different EU projects, of which the last one finished in 2009.

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If you have any questions about NoroNet, please contact noronet@rivm.nl.