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To determine whether gastroenteritis viruses and other enteric viruses could be detected in faecal specimens collected with Bio‐wipes.

Faecal specimens, self‐collected with Bio‐wipes, from 190 individuals (94 diarrhoeal, 93 non‐diarrhoeal, 3 unknown) were screened for eight human enteric viruses (enterovirus, hepatitis A virus, adenovirus, astrovirus, norovirus GI and GII, sapovirus and rotavirus) by real‐time (reverse transcription)‐polymerase chain reaction. Rotaviruses and noroviruses from positive specimens were genotyped.

At least one enteric virus could be detected in 82.6% (157/190) of faecal specimens. Mixed infections of up to four different viruses could be detected in both diarrhoeal and non‐diarrhoeal specimens. Enteroviruses were detected most frequently (63.7%), followed by adenoviruses (48.4%) and noroviruses (32.2%). Genotyping was successful for 78.6% of …