[Pilot experience of studying calicivirus infection in Moscow children].

An RT-PCR-based assay for detecting calicivirus RNA was developed. Samples of feces of 124 children patients with acute gastroenteritis were tested for the presence of NLV-1, NLV-2, and SLV. Calicivirus infection was detected in 6.4% of cases of children with acute gastroenteritis. All isolates were non-homogeneous Norwalk like Viruses 2 genotype with maximum nucleotide homology to the strains, isolated in UK and Japan. The use of the RT-PCR assay developed in our laboratory allowed the etiology of 22.2% of cases of acute gastroenteritis of uncertain etiology to be identified.