Norovirus and other stomach viruses in young South African children
Official title: Gastroenteritis virus infections in South African children: secretor status-linkedsusceptibility, prevalence and genetic diversity and humoral responses to norovirusinfection
Funded at University of Pretoria · NIH-11403895 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will track which stomach viruses (norovirus, rotavirus, and adenovirus) infect children under five in South Africa and when babies develop protective antibodies.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pretoria NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pretoria, SOUTH AFRICA) |
| Project start | April 17, 2023 |
| Project end | March 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $128,925 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI176494-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11403895 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are children under five hospitalized with gastroenteritis in South Africa and infants (birth to 2 years), including HIV-exposed babies whose dried blood spots are available.
✕Less likely to help
Adults, children without gastroenteritis symptoms, or people living outside the participating areas of South Africa are unlikely to benefit directly or take part.
What this research studies
If your child is admitted to a participating hospital with gastroenteritis, samples will be collected to see which viruses are causing illness. The team will also test wastewater from 11 treatment plants across South Africa to find viruses circulating in the community. Scientists will sequence virus genomes to learn which strains are common or emerging and use a protein microarray to measure antibodies in infants, including dried blood spots from HIV-exposed babies. The work follows children in age groups from birth to two years over five years to learn when protective immunity appears.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Results could help doctors and public health teams better prevent and respond to stomach-virus outbreaks and guide vaccine or prevention strategies for young children.
How similar studies have gone: Surveillance and genome sequencing have successfully tracked enteric viruses before, though combining hospital cases, nationwide wastewater data, and infant antibody microarrays is less common and relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pretoria
Pretoria, South Africa Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mans, Janet — University of Pretoria
- Study coordinator: Mans, Janet
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.