Norovirus is a highly contagious foodborne pathogen associated with calf diarrhea, causing economic losses in dairy cattle herds. This virus can infect a wide range of species, including cattle, pigs, dogs, cats, mice, sheep, lions, and humans. In this study, the prevalence and genetic sequencing of bovine norovirus as a causative agent of gastroenteritis in calves in Iran were investigated. A total of 163 fecal samples were collected from diarrheic calves under two months of age across five provinces in Iran during 2023–2024 and analyzed using RT-PCR with two pairs of primers. Two positive samples were sequenced for phylogenetic analysis (GenBank accession numbers: SUB13053245 and SUB13053259). RT-PCR results indicated that 68 samples (41%) tested positive for bovine norovirus genogroup III. Additionally, a higher prevalence of norovirus was observed in colder seasons (autumn and winter). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that sample SUB13053245 exhibited a close genetic relationship (97% similarity) with bovine norovirus strains reported from East Asia and Egypt, while sample SUB13053259 clustered with norovirus strains from European countries such as Belgium, France, and the United Kingdom. These findings highlight the high prevalence of bovine norovirus genogroup III in diarrheic calves in Iran, emphasizing the need for further investigations, particularly within the One Health framework, to assess the molecular epidemiology and risk factors associated with norovirus infections in Iran.
abedikiasari,B. and Ranjbar,M. (2026). Molecular epidemiology, genotyping and phylogenetic study of bovine norovirus from diarrheic calves in Iran. New Findings in Veterinary Microbiology, 8(Winter), 1-10. doi: 10.22034/nfvm.2025.515517.1279
MLA
abedikiasari,B. , and Ranjbar,M. . "Molecular epidemiology, genotyping and phylogenetic study of bovine norovirus from diarrheic calves in Iran", New Findings in Veterinary Microbiology, 8, Winter, 2026, 1-10. doi: 10.22034/nfvm.2025.515517.1279
HARVARD
abedikiasari B., Ranjbar M. (2026). 'Molecular epidemiology, genotyping and phylogenetic study of bovine norovirus from diarrheic calves in Iran', New Findings in Veterinary Microbiology, 8(Winter), pp. 1-10. doi: 10.22034/nfvm.2025.515517.1279
CHICAGO
B. abedikiasari and M. Ranjbar, "Molecular epidemiology, genotyping and phylogenetic study of bovine norovirus from diarrheic calves in Iran," New Findings in Veterinary Microbiology, 8 Winter (2026): 1-10, doi: 10.22034/nfvm.2025.515517.1279
VANCOUVER
abedikiasari B., Ranjbar M. Molecular epidemiology, genotyping and phylogenetic study of bovine norovirus from diarrheic calves in Iran. NFVM, 2026; 8(Winter): 1-10. doi: 10.22034/nfvm.2025.515517.1279
