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Abstract

First Detection of IgA against Norovirus in Breast Milk by Kohsuke Makita, Yuko Hayakawa, Michio Okame, Kazuhiro Homma, Tung Gia Phan, Shoko Okitsu, Hiroshi Ushijima

Breast milk samples (n = 239) collected from 1994-1997 from mothers at Chiba City, Japan, were tested for anti-norovirus antibody by ELISA and western blot methods. It was found that 31 breast milk samples contained IgA against norovirus and this represented 13%. Breast milk could react with a diversity of norovirus genotypes. The highest number of samples containing IgA against norovirus was found in genotype GII/6 (11.3%) and the lowest in GI/8, GII/8 and GII/12 (each of 0.8%). Of note, twenty-eight samples showed reactivity to more than one different norovirus genotypes. Interestingly, three samples demonstrated cross-reaction with both norovirus genogroups I and II. This report is noteworthy because it is the first, to the best of our knowledge, demonstrating the presence of antibody against norovirus in breast milk.

DOI: Clin. Lab. 2007;53:125-128