Norwalk virus is one of the most important viral pathogens causing acute gastroenteritis, the second most common illness in the United States (Dingle et al.,  1953; Kapikian and Chanock, 1985).  Up to 42% of cases of viral gastroenteritis have been estimated to be caused by Norwalk or Norwalk-like viruses (Kaplan et al.,  1982).  Both water and foodborne transmission of Norwalk virus has been documented, and particularly large epidemic outbreaks of illness have occurred following consumption of contaminated shellfish including clams, cockles, and oysters (Murphy et al.,  1979; Gunn et al.,  1982; Wilson et al.,  1982; Gill et al.,  1983; DuPont 1986; Morse et al.,  1986; Sekine et al.,  1989).  An increase in fish and shellfish-related food poisonings has recently been noted and attributed to increased recognition of these entities by clinicians as well as to increased consumption of seafood (Eastaugh and Shepherd, 1989).  Norwalk virus was discovered in 1973.  However, knowledge about the virus has remained limited because it has failed to grow in cell cultures and no suitable animal models have been found for virus cultivation.  Human stool samples obtained from outbreaks and from human volunteer studies, therefore, are the only source of the virus.  Still the concentration of the virus in stool is usually so low that virus detection with routine electron microscopy is not possible (Dolin et al.,  1972; Kapikian et al.,  1972; Thornhill et al.,  1975).  Current methods of Norwalk virus detection include immune electron microscopy and other immunologic methods such as radio immunoassays (RIAs) or a biotin-avidin enzyme linked immunoabsorbent assays (ELISAs) which utilize acute and convalescent phase serum from humans.  To date, no hyperimmune serum from animals has been successfully prepared due either to insufficient quantities or unusual properties of the viral antigen.  Preliminary biophysical characterization of virions has indicated particles contain one polypeptide (Greenberg et al.,  1981), but efforts to characterize the viral genome have failed.  Therefore, these viruses have remained unclassified.