Abstract
BackgroundRotaviruses are the major causes of pediatric gastroenteritis worldwide. The genotypic distribution of rotavirus strains shows temporal and geographical fluctuations, and knowledge of the molecular epidemiology of rotaviruses is important for the development of vaccines and diagnostic reagents. We investigated VP4 and VP7 capsid genotypes of rotaviruses isolated from 211 stool specimens collected from Korean neonates in a neonatal intensive care unit from September 2017 to March 2018.ResultsOf 211 stool specimens, 15 specimens (7.1%) were rotavirus-positive. Eleven specimens (73.3%) were G8P[6] type and 4 (26.7%) were G4P[6] type. Sequence analysis revealed that all G8 sequences in this study showed the highest nucleotide identity to G8 sequences of G8P[8] rotavirus strains isolated in Vietnam in 2014, and P[6] gene sequences showed the highest nucleotide identity to P[6] sequences of G4P[6] strains detected in Korea in 2012. Only one amino acid difference in VP7 was found in 3 of the 11 G8P[6] strains in this study, but multiple amino acid substitutions in VP7 were detected between these G8P[6] strains and the commonly used vaccine strains.ConclusionsThis study showed that rotavirus G8P[6] strains were firstly detected at high frequency in Korean neonates from September 2017 to March 2018. These new rotavirus G8P[6] strains were estimated to be derived from reassortment events between the G8 of G8P[8] strains in Asian region and the P[6] of G4[6] in Korea. Whether the emergence of this unusual G8P[6] strain reflects continuous prevalence or transient occurrence will require continuous monitoring of rotavirus epidemiology.
Highlights
Rotaviruses are the major causes of pediatric gastroenteritis worldwide
The genotypic distribution of rotavirus strains shows temporal and geographical fluctuations [4]; continuous monitoring of rotavirus molecular epidemiology is important for the development of vaccines, monitoring vaccine effectiveness, and epidemiological study of endemic and epidemic rotavirus infections
The day of admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) when rotavirus was detected was the 1st day for 11 patients, 4th for 1 patient, 7th for 2 patients, and 30th for 1 patient (Table 1)
Summary
Rotaviruses are the major causes of pediatric gastroenteritis worldwide. The genotypic distribution of rotavirus strains shows temporal and geographical fluctuations, and knowledge of the molecular epidemiology of rotaviruses is important for the development of vaccines and diagnostic reagents. Rotaviruses are the most common causes of pediatric gastroenteritis worldwide, especially in children younger than 5 years. The outer capsid layer is composed of two structural proteins, VP7 (segment 9) and VP4 (segment 4), which are targets of neutralizing antibodies. The genotypic distribution of rotavirus strains shows temporal and geographical fluctuations [4]; continuous monitoring of rotavirus molecular epidemiology is important for the development of vaccines, monitoring vaccine effectiveness, and epidemiological study of endemic and epidemic rotavirus infections
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
