Abstract
Group A rotavirus (RVA) is recognized as a major cause of severe gastroenteritis in newborn calves and goat kids. We estimated the proportion of ruminants infected with rotavirus and identified the circulating genotypes in cattle and goats in Bangladesh. Between May 2009 and August 2010, fecal samples were collected from 520 cattle and goats presenting with diarrhea at three government veterinary hospitals in three districts of Bangladesh. All samples were screened for RVA RNA using real-time, one-step, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Of the 520 animals tested, 11.7% (61) were positive for RVA RNA, with 6.2% (15/241) and 16.5% (46/279) positivity in cattle and goats, respectively. RVA positive samples were further characterized by nucleotide sequence analysis of two structural protein gene fragments, VP7 (G genotype), and VP4 (P genotype). Among 17 successfully sequenced strains, G8 (17.9%) was the most prevalent G-genotype followed by G10 (8%) and G6 (1.6%). P[1] (11.3%) was the most frequently detected P-genotype followed by P[11] (3.2%) and P[15] (1.6%). The most common VP7/VP4 combinations for cattle were G10P[11], G10P[15], and G6P[11], and for goat, G8P[1], and G10P[1]. Phylogenetic analysis of the RVA strains showed clustering with bovine and caprine strains from neighboring India. The study adds to our understanding of the genetic diversity of bovine and caprine rotavirus strains in Bangladesh. Our findings highlight the importance of rotavirus surveillance in cattle and goat populations, which may serve as a potential source for genetic reassortment and zoonotic transmission.
Highlights
Group A rotavirus (RVA) is the leading cause of neonatal calf diarrhea and livestock mortality worldwide
Rotavirus A RNA was more frequently detected in younger goats (30%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 15-45%) than in older goats (14.2%, 95% CI: 10-19%)
We found overall 11.7% ruminants presenting with diarrhoea visiting veterinary hospitals in Bangladesh were infected with RVA
Summary
Group A rotavirus (RVA) is the leading cause of neonatal calf diarrhea and livestock mortality worldwide. Calf diarrhea is one of the leading health complications reported in both the dairy industry and rural cattle and goat farming in Bangladesh, which results in substantial economic losses (Debnath et al, 1990). There are no previous studies that have combined epidemiological, clinical and genetic data sources to characterise the patterns of RVA infection in cattle and goats in Bangladesh. Phylogenetic analysis of all 11 genes suggested that the strain was a monoreassortant between a human RVA strain and a bovine-like strain, most likely resulting from a direct zoonotic transmission event of the bovine-like RVA strain, followed by the reassortment event. The examination of domestic livestock as a potential source for human RVA infection is warranted
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