Asymptomatic Norovirus Infection Affects Food Intake and Weight Changes of Malnourished Children Living in Coastal Area of Surabaya, Indonesia

Background: Asymptomatic Norovirus (NoV) infection is known to affect the linear growth of children, yet it is still neglected during malnutrition intervention. NoV is known to disrupt the gut microbiota profile in healthy individuals, which could affect their appetite regulation and nutrient absorption. However, the report of the asymptomatic NoV infection incidence and the effect on food intake and weight changes in malnourished children is still lacking. The current study was aimed to evaluate the incidence and the effect of asymptomatic NoV infection in children with malnutrition. Methods: A total of 142 stool samples were collected from 71 asymptomatic children with malnutrition who received a nutrition intervention program in Semampir District of Surabaya, Indonesia. One-step Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) GI & GII detection kit Ver. 2 (Shimadzu, Tokyo, Japan) was used to identify NoV, then confirmed by conventional Reverse Transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR) for NoV GII and GI. The growth of the children was monitored for a month by measuring body weight every week. Food intake was evaluated by subtracting the serving portion with leftover portion every day, then presented in daily percentage intake. The effect of asymptomatic NoV infection on food intake and weight change of the children were analyzed using an independent t-test. Results: Thirteen out of 142 samples were positive for NoV by conventional PCR, with a detection rate of 9.2%, with 13 individuals had one positive sample (18.3%). Genogroup I (GI) was the most prevalent genogroup circulating in this study, with a ratio of 53.8% (7/13) for GI, 30.7% (4/13) for GII and 15.5% (2/13) for mix-infection of GI and GII. The mean percent intake of asymptomatic NoV-positive children (mean ± SD, 48.5% ± 7.76%) was significantly lower than that of NoV-negative children (Mean ± SD, 64.4% ± 3.15% ) with a p-value of 0.04. The weight change of NoV-positive children was 10 g ± 72g, while in NoV-negative children was 236 g ± 58 g ( p-value = 0.01). Conclusions: Our findings showed that the incidence of asymptomatic NoV infection was higher in malnourished children than in healthy individuals. We confirmed that asymptomatic NoV infection affects the food intake and weight changes of malnourished children. Supplementary Material File (manuscript.docx) - Download - 800.65 KB Information & Authors Information Version history Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License.

Authors Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 190views 145downloads Citations Download citation Anisa Lailatul Fitria, Aussie Tahta Maharani, Zayyin Dinana, et al. Asymptomatic Norovirus Infection Affects Food Intake and Weight Changes of Malnourished Children Living in Coastal Area of Surabaya, Indonesia. Authorea. 04 August 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.175428557.73871223/v1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.175428557.73871223/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu.