This represents the largest study to date investigating the role and distribution of HBoVs infections in community acquired sporadic gastroenteritis and in asymptomatic controls. The prevalence of HBoV infection in the UK population was found to be 7.4% across all ages, with a higher percentage of the infections occurring in children ,5 years of age (19%). However, the prevalence of HBoV infections was comparable in cases of gastroenteritis and in age-matched asymptomatic controls. Although the presence of enteric pathogens, eg norovirus or rotavirus, in asymptomatic individuals is well documented, a significantly higher prevalence of the pathogen is seen in cases than in the controls [26] . Therefore, our data suggests that HBoV are not causally associated with gastrointestinal disease in the UK population as a whole, nor in children. The prevalence of detection of HBoV in stool samples in previous studies varies widely (see summary in Table 5 ), but most coincide in reporting the highest prevalence in children.