Rotavirus Infection Research Articles

The Role of Low Lactose Feeding for Preventing Childhood Malnutrition and Long-Term Gut Damage Caused by Recurrent Diarrhoeal Disease

Even though it has decreased over the past three decades, diarrheal sickness continues to be a major global cause of death for children. There is a strong correlation between childhood rotavirus, diarrhea, climate factors, and malnutrition. On the other hand, a significant nutritional shift (lower levels of undernutrition) among children mal five has been documented in the last ten years, especially in developing nations like Bangladesh, where rotavirus infection has also been on the rise. Given the pathophysiology of rotavirus, there may be a link between the changing diet, the environment, and other artificial factors in urban areas such as Dhaka, Bangladesh, and the rise in rotavirus infections. Under-five malnutrition is still a major problem in Bangladesh, despite significant socioeconomic progress and ten years of initiatives to reduce it. Many research have been conducted in an attempt to identify the primary risk factors for malnutrition; however, none of these have looked into the importance of low birth weight (LBW) 36%. Bangladesh has seen a notable decline in the incidence of pediatric diarrhea deaths in recent decades. Over the past few decades, Bangladesh, a heavily populated country with limited resources, has managed to achieve a notable reduction in the death rate of pediatric diarrhea. Some of the obstacles that still need to be overcome in order to further lower the burden of disease and mortality brought on by diarrhea are enhancing hand hygiene practices, expanding zinc coverage for diarrhea treatment, and maintaining nutritional improvement. To increase intervention coverage and hasten the end of diarrheal mortality among children in Bangladesh, ongoing collaboration with non-governmental organizations and the private sector is necessary, as is the adoption of pluralistic health system platforms for the delivery of preventative and curative services.

Epidemiological characteristics and genotype trends of rotavirus diarrhea in China from 2009 to 2020

Objective: To investigate the epidemiological characteristics and genotype trends of rotavirus infection among the population with diarrhea in China, from 2009 to 2020 and provide evidence for strategic surveillance and prevention. Methods: Surveillance data on diarrhea syndrome from 252 sentinel hospitals across 28 provinces (municipalities, autonomous regions) were obtained from the information management system of the Infectious Disease Surveillance Technology Platform of the National Science and Technology Major Project. Descriptive epidemiological methods were employed to analyze the distribution of rotavirus diarrhea cases in different climatic zones, populations, and times from 2009 to 2020, as well as the genotyping characteristics and changing trends of group A rotavirus diarrhea cases. Results: From 2009 to 2020, a total of 114 606 diarrhea cases were tested for rotavirus, and the positive rate was 19.1% (21 872/114 606); group A rotavirus was dominant (98.2%, 21 471/21 872). The positive rate of rotavirus was the highest in 2009 (36.9%, 2 436/6 604) and 2010 (30.6%, 5 130/16 790), fluctuated between 14.0% to 18.0% from 2011 to 2017, raised slightly in 2018 (20.3%, 2 211/10 900), and declined continuously in the following two years (15.5%, 2 262/14 611 and 9.5%, 470/4 963). The positive rate of males (20.2%, 13 660/67 471) was significantly higher than that of females (17.4%, 8 212/47 135). Children under five had the highest positive rate (28.4%, 18 261/64 300), more than four times that of adults. The positive rate peaked from December to February in the mediate temperate zone, warm temperate zone, and subtropical zone, while there were two peaks from November to January and May to June in the frigid zone of the plateau. The dominant genotype of group A rotavirus gradually changed from G3P[8] and G1P[8] to G9P[8] during 2009-2020. Conclusions: The overall rotavirus infection rate in China was on a downward trend. Meanwhile, significant variations of positive rates were observed in seasonal epidemics and different age groups from 2009 to 2020. Rotavirus diarrhea in children was still a prominent concern. Vaccination of rotavirus vaccine should be promoted, and the epidemiological characteristics and genotypes of rotavirus diarrhea should be continuously monitored.

PREVALENCE OF ROTAVIRUS AND CORONAVIRUS ORIGIN DISEASES BY AGE GROUPS AMONG CALVES IN THE NORTH-WEST REGION OF AZERBAIJAN

The purpose of the study was to identify the prevalence of diarrhea caused by rotavirus and coronavirus in newborn calves located in the North-West region of the republic using rapid testing. The study was conducted among 45 heads of calves of local races and crosses in 20 farms of the Ismailli, Gabala, and Zagatala districts. In 14 heads of calves out of 45 calves (35.5%), pathogens were not identified, and in 31 heads of calves pathogens were identified in single or mixed cases. The identified pathogens among them were distributed as follows: rotavirus in 22 calves (48.9%), coronavirus in 3 calves (6.7%), in 8 calves – (Cryptosporodium parvum) 17.8%), in 5 calves – Giardia (11.1%) and another 5 calves had E. coli K99 (11.1%). The results of the study show that the causes of diarrhea in calves in the North-West region of the republic, among other pathogens, include rotavirus and coronavirus infections, and it is important that this be taken into account when carrying out treatment and preventive measures

Impact of Limosilactobacillus fermentum probiotic treatment on gut microbiota composition in sahiwal calves with rotavirus diarrhea: A 16S metagenomic analysis study”

BackgroundDiarrhea poses a major threat to bovine calves leading to mortality and economic losses. Among the causes of calf diarrhea, bovine rotavirus is a major etiological agent and may result in dysbiosis of gut microbiota. The current study was designed to investigate the effect of probiotic Limosilactobacillus fermentum (Accession No.OR504458) on the microbial composition of rotavirus-infected calves using 16S metagenomic analysis technique. Screening of rotavirus infection in calves below one month of age was done through clinical signs and Reverse Transcriptase PCR. The healthy calves (n = 10) were taken as control while the infected calves (n = 10) before treatment was designated as diarrheal group were treated with Probiotic for 5 days. All the calves were screened for the presence of rotavirus infection on each day and fecal scoring was done to assess the fecal consistency. Infected calves after treatment were designated as recovered group. Fecal samples from healthy, recovered and diarrheal (infected calves before sampling) were processed for DNA extraction while four samples from each group were processed for 16S metagenomic analysis using Illumina sequencing technique and analyzed via QIIME 2.ResultsThe results show that Firmicutes were more abundant in the healthy and recovered group than in the diarrheal group. At the same time Proteobacteria was higher in abundance in the diarrheal group. Order Oscillospirales dominated healthy and recovered calves and Enterobacterials dominated the diarrheal group. Alpha diversity indices show that diversity indices based on richness were higher in the healthy group and lower in the diarrheal group while a mixed pattern of clustering between diarrheal and recovered groups samples in PCA plots based on beta diversity indices was observed.ConclusionIt is concluded that probiotic Limosilactobacillus Fermentum N-30 ameliorate the dysbiosis caused by rotavirus diarrhea and may be used to prevent diarrhea in pre-weaned calves after further exploration.

Identifying the main determinants that have an impact on the level of vaccination among children

Background. Thanks to vaccinations, many infections, including whooping cough, diphtheria, tetanus, poliomyelitis, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B, hemophilic infection, pneumococcal infection, meningococcal infection, rotavirus infection, chicken pox, hepatitis A, papillomavirus infection, etc., can be prevented. According to the WHO research, it was established that if the level of vaccination coverage of the country's population drops by several percents, it creates favorable conditions for the spread of infectious diseases, that the lower the collective immunity, the higher the probability of outbreaks and epidemics. The Aim. Тo study and analyze the impact of risk factors on reducing the level of vaccine prophylaxis in the childhood population. Materials and Methods. This study was conducted using the questionnaire method, for which a questionnaire was developed. Group 1 consisted of 280 children who received a vaccination and group 2 consisted of 180 children who were not vaccinated. The parents of these children were interviewed using the author's questionnaire and gave their consent to use the medical data of the children for scientific research. Non-parametric statistical analysis for two independent sample populations was used to compare median values Mann-Whitney test. Fisher's test was used to compare proportions. Results. During the study, it was found that the most frequent reasons for parents' refusal to vaccinate their children were: religious views of family members 2.4 times increase the risk of non-vaccination in children; in single-parent families where the parents are divorced, children did not receive any vaccination 2.6 times more than in full-parent families; unfinished average of 35.7 times and lack of education 24.1 times increase the impact on the lack of vaccination in children. Conclusions. We identified the following risk factors that influence the vaccination rate, namely: demographic, socio-economic, biological and socio-psychological. Keywords: vaccine prevention, statistics, infectious diseases, risk factors.

Prevalence and molecular characterization of rotavirus strains circulating among children with gastroenteritis in Egypt

Background and objectives Human rotavirus (RV) is the main cause of diarrheal disease among children younger than 5 years old, worldwide. The aim of the current study was to investigate the prevalence of RV infections and the genotype distribution of RV in Egypt. Materials and methods A total of 642 fecal samples were collected from children younger than 5 years of age, suffering from acute diarrhea and attending ten regional public hospitals (n=585) and five private clinics (n=57) located in 6 Egyptian cities between February and June 2021. All samples were screened by immunochromatographic assay to determine RV prevalence. Then RV-positive samples were further subjected for detection of G (VP7) and P (VP4) genotypes by seminested multiplex real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results Out of the 642 children, RV was detected in 268 (41.7%). Inpatients were more likely to be RV-positive (43.2%) than outpatients (26.3%) and most of the positive samples 215/268 (80.2%) were found in children less than 1 year of age. RV infections were more common in males than females (65.3% vs. 34.7%). The VP7 predominant G type was G3 (31.3%), followed by G8 (20.5%), G1 (7%), mixed G infections (6.3%), G2 (1.9%), G9 (1.9%), G4 (1.5%), and G10 (0.4%). The VP4 predominant P type was P[8] (53.7%), followed by P[4] (16%), P[6] (9.3%), P[9] (6.3%), P[11] (4.5%), P[10] (2.6%), and mixed P infections (1.9%). The dominant VP7/VP4 combination was G3P[8] (24.2%), G8P[8] (10%), G8P[4] (5.2%), G1P[8] (4.5%), G8P[6] (3.3%), and G3P[4] (2.2%). Several other combinations were also identified with detection rates less than 2% of positive RV samples. Mixed genotype combinations and partially typed strains were detected in 31.7% and 7.5%, respectively. Conclusion This study highlights the necessity for continuous epidemiology and surveillance of RVA infection to improve our control and management of RVA infection. Furthermore, due to the lack of a national anti-RV vaccination program, RV remains the main causative agent for acute gastroenteritis in Egyptian children. Therefore, it is important to introduce RV vaccine into the national immunization program in Egypt free of charge to all infants to reduce the burden of RV gastroenteritis.

Gut microbiota in vaccine naïve Gabonese children with rotavirus A gastroenteritis

BackgroundWhile the gut microbiome modulates the pathogenesis of enteric viruses, how infections caused by rotavirus A (RVA), with or without diarrhoea, alter the gut microbiota has been sparsely studied. MethodsFrom a cohort of 224 vaccine naïve Gabonese children with and without diarrhoea (n = 177 and n = 67, respectively), 48 stool samples were analysed: (i) RVA with diarrhoea (n = 12); (ii) RVA without diarrhoea (n = 12); (iii) diarrhoea without RVA (n = 12); (iv) healthy controls without diarrhoea and RVA (n = 12). The 16S rRNA metabarcoding using Oxford Nanopore sequencing data was analysed for taxonomic composition, abundance, alpha and beta diversity, and metabolic pathways. FindingsAlpha diversity showed that children with acute diarrhoea (with and without RVA infection), and children with acute diarrhoea without RVA had low microbial diversity compared to healthy children (p = 0.001 and p = 0.006, respectively). No significant differences observed when comparing children with RVA with or without diarrhoea. Beta diversity revealed high microbial heterogeneity in children without diarrhoea. Proteobacteria (68%) and Firmicutes (69%) were most common in the diarrhoea and non-diarrhoea groups, respectively. Proteobacteria (53%) were most common in children without RVA, while Firmicutes (55%) were most common with RVA. At the genus level, Escherichia (21%), Klebsiella (10%) and Salmonella (4%) were abundant in children with diarrhoea, while Blautia (11%), Clostridium (8%), Lachnoclostridium (6%) and Ruminococcus (5%) were abundant in children without diarrhoea. Metabolites involved in amino acid, carbohydrate, lipid, nucleotide, and vitamin metabolism were quantitatively altered. InterpretationAlthough host physiology dictates the intestinal milieu, diarrhoea per se can alter a balanced gut microbiota, whereas infectious diarrhoea disrupts the gut microbiome and reduces its diversity.

Viruses as a potential environmental trigger of type 1 diabetes mellitus (Review).

The etiopathogenesis of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a complex multifactorial process that involves an intricate network of genetic, epigenetic, immunological, and environmental factors. Despite the advances in recent years, some aspects of the mechanisms involved in triggering the disease are still unclear. Infections with certain viruses have been suggested as possible environmental triggers for the autoimmune process that leads to selective and progressive destruction of pancreatic β-cells and insufficiency of insulin production, which is its hallmark. In this review, advances in knowledge and evidence that suggest the participation of certain viruses in the mechanisms of disease initiation and progression are described. It has been accepted that environmental factors, including viruses, can initiate and possibly sustain, accelerate, or slow down the autoimmune process and consequently damage insulin-producing pancreatic β-cells. Although the role of these agents, especially human enteroviruses, has been exhaustively studied as the most likely triggers of the activation of autoimmunity that destroys pancreatic islets and leads to T1DM, certain doubts remain. Clinical epidemiological and experimental studies in humans and animals provide consistent and increasing evidence that persistent viral infections, especially with human enteroviruses and rotavirus infections, are associated with an increased risk of the disease in individuals genetically predisposed to autoimmunity.

Associations between meteorological variation and hospitalisations for rotavirus infections in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

ObjectivesRotavirus (RoV) infections have emerged as a significant public health concern around the world. Understanding the relationship between climatic conditions and hospitalisations due to RoV infections can help engage effective prevention strategies. This study aims to investigate the potential associations between meteorological variability and RoV-related hospitalisations in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. MethodsHospitalization data from a tertiary teaching hospital in Kuala Lumpur over a twelve-year period were retrospectively collected. Concurrently, meteorological data were obtained from the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) including variables of temperature, humidity, precipitation, and atmospheric pressure to further demonstrate relationship with RoV-associated hospitalisations. ResultsThe results indicated positive correlations between increased rainfall, rainy days, humidity, and RoV-related hospitalisations, suggesting the influence of environmental factors on the transmission of RoV. ConclusionsThis study highlights positive associations between meteorological variations and hospitalizations for RoV infections in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Further investigations, including national-level data, are needed to deepen our understanding of these associations, particularly within the context of Malaysia and to develop targeted interventions for disease prevention and control.

Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Rotavirus Infection Frequency in Children

Aims: During the COVID-19 pandemic, measures such as the wearing of masks, social distancing, enhanced hygiene practices, closures of workplaces and schools, and lockdowns influenced the spread of various infectious diseases. This study aimed to compare the frequency of rotavirus infections during the pandemic to that of the pre-pandemic period.
 Methods: This retrospective study included 2912 patients diagnosed with acute gastroenteritis who were admitted to the Pediatric Health and Diseases Department of Hisar Intercontinental Hospital between January 2018 and August 2022. For the diagnosis of rotavirus infection, the Rota-Adeno Ag Rapid Test-Cassette was applied to stool samples as an immunochromatographic method. Patients were divided into two groups based on their hospital admission dates: before the COVID-19 pandemic (1 January 2018 to 10 March 2020) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (11 March 2020 to 30 August 2022).
 Results: The prevalence of rotavirus infection in the entire population was 9.5% (n=277). The rate of cases of rotavirus infection was higher among patients during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the group of patients before the COVID-19 pandemic (10.9% vs. 8.7%, p=0.050). A sharp decline in the frequency of rotavirus infection was observed at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the pre-COVID-19 pandemic period, followed by a sharp increase. In 2022, the frequency of rotavirus infections exceeded the pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.
 Conclusion: The provision of the rotavirus vaccine for free by health authorities, especially for at-risk infants, together with adherence to hand washing, hygiene, and sanitation rules can significantly reduce the frequency of rotavirus infections during both pandemic and non-pandemic periods.

Effects of milk extracellular vesicles from bovine, human, and caprine origin on rotavirus infectivity in cultured human intestinal cells

Rotavirus is the leading cause of severe gastroenteritis in neonates representing a global health burden. Milk-derived extracellular vesicles [EVs] have emerged as potential antivirals, offering a promising avenue for intervention. The present study evaluated the antiviral activity of EVs sourced from bovine, human, and caprine milk against the infection of the human Wa and bovine WC3 rotavirus strains. EVs induced an endogenous effect in Caco-2 cells, resulting in a significant reduction of rotaviral infection. The antiviral properties of the milk EVs, were found to be associated with synergistic interactions at pre- and post-attachment stages of the infection. Finally, the effect of milk processing on bovine milk EVs efficacy was assessed. It was found that after high-temperature short-time pasteurization EVs retained their activity, while homogenization resulted in no antiviral effect at all. Overall, our findings demonstrate a significant reduction in rotavirus infection in cultured Caco-2 cells when treated with milk EVs.

Bacterial-derived sialidases inhibit porcine rotavirus OSU replication by interfering with the early steps of infection

Rotavirus infections in suckling and weaning piglets cause severe dehydration and death, resulting in significant economic losses in the pig breeding industry. With the continuous emergence of porcine rotavirus (PoRV) variants and poor vaccine cross-protection among various genotypes, there is an urgent need to develop alternative strategies such as seeking effective antiviral products from nature, microbial metabolites and virus-host protein interaction. Sialidases play a crucial role in various physiopathological processes and offer a promising target for developing antivirus drugs. However, the effect of bacterial-derived sialidases on the infection of PoRVs remains largely unknown. Herein, we investigated the impact of bacterial-derived sialidases (sialidase Cp and Vc) on PoRV strain OSU(Group A) infection, using differentiated epithelial monkey kidney cells (MA104) as a model. Our results indicated that the pretreatment of MA104 with exogenous sialidases effectively suppressed PoRV OSU in a concentration-dependent manner. Notably, even at a concentration of 0.01 μU/mL, sialidases significantly inhibited the virus (MOI = 0.01). Meanwhile, we found that sialidase Vc pretreatment sharply reduced the binding rate of PoRV OSU. Last, we demonstrated that PoRV OSU might recognize α-2,3-linked sialic acid as the primary attachment factor in MA104. Our findings provide new insights into the underlying mechanism of PoRV OSU infections, shedding lights on the development of alternative antivirus approaches based on bacteria-virus interaction.

Lipidomics reveals the significance and mechanism of the cellular ceramide metabolism for rotavirus replication.

As one of the most important causative agents of severe gastroenteritis in children, piglets, and other young animals, species A rotaviruses have adversely impacted both human health and the global swine industry. Vaccines against rotaviruses (RVs) are insufficiently effective, and no specific treatment is available. To understand the relationships between porcine RV (PoRV) infection and enterocytes in terms of the cellular lipid metabolism, we performed an untargeted liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) lipidomics analysis of PoRV-infected IPEC-J2 cells. Herein, a total of 451 lipids (263 upregulated lipids and 188 downregulated lipids), spanning sphingolipid, glycerolipid, and glycerophospholipids, were significantly altered compared with the mock-infected group. Interestingly, almost all the ceramides among these lipids were upregulated during PoRV infection. LC-MS analysis was used to validated the lipidomics data and demonstrated that PoRV replication increased the levels of long-chain ceramides (C16-ceramide, C18-ceramide, and C24-ceramide) in cells. Furthermore, we found that these long-chain ceramides markedly inhibited PoRV infection and that their antiviral actions were exerted in the replication stage of PoRV infection. Moreover, downregulation of endogenous ceramides with the ceramide metabolic inhibitors enhanced PoRV propagation. Increasing the levels of ceramides by the addition of C6-ceramide strikingly suppressed the replication of diverse RV strains. We further found that the treatment with an apoptotic inhibitor could reverse the antiviral activity of ceramide against PoRV replication, demonstrating that ceramide restricted RV infection by inducing apoptosis. Altogether, this study revealed that ceramides played an antiviral role against RV infection, providing potential approaches for the development of antiviral therapies.IMPORTANCERotaviruses (RVs) are among the most important zoonosis viruses, which mainly infected enterocytes of the intestinal epithelium causing diarrhea in children and the young of many mammalian and avian species. Lipids play an essential role in viral infection. A comprehensive understanding of the interaction between RV and lipid metabolism in the enterocytes will be helpful to control RV infection. Here, we mapped changes in enterocyte lipids following porcine RV (PoRV) infection using an untargeted lipidomics approach. We found that PoRV infection altered the metabolism of various lipid species, especially ceramides (derivatives of the sphingosine). We further demonstrated that PoRV infection increased the accumulation of ceramides and that ceramides exerted antiviral effects on RV replication by inducing apoptosis. Our findings fill a gap in understanding the alterations of lipid metabolism in RV-infected enterocytes and highlight the antiviral effects of ceramides on RV infection, suggesting potential approaches to control RV infection.

LACONICALLY REVIEWED CONCEPTS PERTAINING THE ROTAVIRUS: A SEVERE DIARRHEA CAUSING MICROBE

Nigeria and developing countries are suffering from infectious diseases due to a mixture of determinants. Parable, rotavirus is a major concern that causes a lot of deaths and hospitalization among children under five of age. Therefore, it is imperative to have more understanding of the rotavirus. A literature review to form concepts were made under the following headings: Historical background of the Rotaviruses, General Characteristics of Rotaviruses, Classification of Rotaviruses, Structure of Rotavirus particle, Rotavirus protein, Non- structural proteins, Structure of Rotavirus genome, Genetic reassortment of Rotaviruses, Mechanisms of Rotavirus genetic diversity, Rotavirus infection, Rotavirus replication, Transmission of Rotaviruses, Incubation period of Rotaviruses, Pathogenesis of Rotavirus infection, Signs and symptoms of Rotavirus infection, Immunity to Rotaviruses, Laboratory diagnosis of Rotaviruses, Epidemiology of Rotaviruses, Treatment of rotavirus infection, Antiviral therapy, Other Therapies, Management of Rotavirus infection, Prevention of Rotavirus infections, General Preventive Measures, Hospital Infection Control Measures. This information would invariably help in gaining understanding the basics of Rotavirus that causes diarrhea in children.

Novel Universal Recombinant Rotavirus A Vaccine Candidate: Evaluation of Immunological Properties.

Rotavirus infection is a leading cause of severe dehydrating gastroenteritis in children under 5 years of age. Although rotavirus-associated mortality has decreased considerably because of the introduction of the worldwide rotavirus vaccination, the global burden of rotavirus-associated gastroenteritis remains high. Current vaccines have a number of disadvantages; therefore, there is a need for innovative approaches in rotavirus vaccine development. In the current study, a universal recombinant rotavirus antigen (URRA) for a novel recombinant vaccine candidate against rotavirus A was obtained and characterised. This antigen included sequences of the VP8* subunit of rotavirus spike protein VP4. For the URRA, for the first time, two approaches were implemented simultaneously-the application of a highly conserved neutralising epitope and the use of the consensus of the extended protein's fragment. The recognition of URRA by antisera to patient-derived field rotavirus isolates was proven. Plant virus-based spherical particles (SPs), a novel, effective and safe adjuvant, considerably enhanced the immunogenicity of the URRA in a mouse model. Given these facts, a URRA + SPs vaccine candidate is regarded as a prospective basis for a universal vaccine against rotavirus.

Pathogenic characteristics of viral diarrhea in children under five years of age in sentinel surveillance in Lulong County of Hebei Province, 2010-2020

Objective: To analyze pathogenic characteristics of viral diarrhea in children aged <5 years in Hebei Province and provide reference for the prevention and control of viral diarrhea in children. Methods: Stool samples were collected from in-patients with diarrhea under five years old from sentinel hospitals in Lulong County of Hebei between 2010 and 2020. ELISA detected rotavirus antigen, and then positive samples were genotyped by semi nested reverse transcription PCR of two rounds. Calicivirus, genotyping astrovirus, and adenovirus were detected by real-time fluorescence quantification PCR. The data were analyzed by using software SPSS 20.0. Results: In 2 925 detected stool samples, 1 919 (65.61%) were positive. The positive rates of rotavirus, calicivirus, adenovirus, and astrovirus were 42.80% (1 252/2 925), 22.12% (647/2 925), 6.19% (181/2 925), 3.56% (104/2 925). Viral diarrhea was mainly caused by rotavirus infection, accounting for 59.30% (1 017/1 715) between 2010 and 2017, and by calicivirus infection accounting for 53.43% (109/204) between 2018 and 2020. The peak positive rate of rotavirus occurred in winter, with the highest rate in infants aged 12 to 17 months (52.96%,483/912). In the rotavirus positive samples, G9P[8] was mainly detected strains (58.31%,730/1 252), followed by G3P[8] (8.15%,102/1 252). The calicivirus-positive samples were mainly infected with norovirus GⅡ. Sequence analysis indicated that the main type was GⅡ.4 [P31] between 2011 and 2016 and GⅡ.3 [P12] in 2018. Conclusions: Rotavirus and calicivirus were the main pathogens causing infant diarrhea in children under five years old in Hebei from 2010 to 2020. Winter was the main epidemic season.

Socio-Demography, Clinical Features and Risk Factors of Gastroenteritis Caused by Rotavirus in Diarrheic Children Living in Edo State, Nigeria

Rotaviruses are one of the vital causative agents of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in young children worldwide. This study aimed to present socio-demographic, clinical features and risk factors of gastroenteritis caused by rotavirus in diarrheic children living in Edo State, Nigeria. This study was done using a descriptive cross-sectional survey of AGE in 400 participants (diarrheic children less than 5 years) admitted to four hospitals in Edo State, Nigeria. A structured questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic and clinical information from study participants. Rotavirus antigen in stool samples collected from the study participants was detected by the immunochromatographic method. Twenty (5.0%) tested positive for rotavirus antigen out of the 400 stool samples examined. A large proportion of the participants were aged one year (24.3%). A large percentage of the participants were exposed to exclusive breastfeeding (94.8%) while 33.5% of this group were exclusively breastfed for a period ranging from 3 to 6 months. Blood and mucous were present in the stool of 66.5% and 74.5% of participants, respectively. Age and exclusive breastfeeding of the participants were the main factors that were associated with the risk of acquiring rotavirus infection. No significant association was observed between the socio-demographic characteristics of the parents/caregivers of the study participants and rotavirus infection. This study shows a significant decline in the incidence of rotavirus infection among children less than 5 years in Edo State, Nigeria; thus, suggesting that the risk of acquiring rotavirus infection might be abating in this age group in Edo State.

Infant Non-Secretor Histoblood Group Antigen Phenotype Reduces Susceptibility to Both Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Rotavirus Infection.

The infant non-secretor histoblood group antigen phenotype is associated with reduced risk of symptomatic rotavirus diarrhea, one of the leading global causes of severe pediatric diarrheal disease and mortality. However, little is known regarding the role of secretor status in asymptomatic rotavirus infections. Therefore, we performed a nested case-control study within a birth cohort study previously conducted in Dhaka, Bangladesh, to determine the association between infant secretor phenotype and the odds of asymptomatic rotavirus infection, in addition to the risk of rotavirus diarrhea, in unvaccinated infants. In the parent cohort, infants were enrolled in the first week of life and followed through the first two years of life with multiple clinic visits and active surveillance for diarrheal illness. Secretor phenotyping was performed on saliva. Eleven surveillance stools collected over the first year of life were tested for rotavirus by real-time RT-PCR, followed by conventional PCR and amplicon sequencing to identify the infecting P-type of positive specimens. Similar to findings for symptomatic diarrhea, infant non-secretors experienced significantly fewer primary episodes of asymptomatic rotavirus infection through the first year of life in a likely rotavirus P-genotype-dependent manner. These data suggest that non-secretors experienced reduced risk from rotavirus due to decreased susceptibility to infection rather than reduced infection severity.

Rotavirus infection inhibits SLA-I expression on the cell surface by degrading β2 M via ERAD-proteasome pathway

Group A Rotavirus (RVA) is a major cause of diarrhea in infants and piglets. β2-microglobulin (β2 M), encoded by the B2M gene, serves as a crucial subunit of the major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) molecules. β2 M is indispensable for the transport of MHC-I to the cell membrane. MHC-I, also known as swine leukocyte antigen class I (SLA-I) in pigs, presents viral antigens to the cell surface. In this study, RVA infection down-regulated β2 M expression in both porcine intestinal epithelial cells-J2 (IPEC-J2) and MA-104 cells. RVA infection did not down-regulate the mRNA level of the B2M gene, indicating that the down-regulation of β2 M occurred on the protein level. Mechanismly, RVA infection triggered β2 M aggregation in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and enhanced the Lys48 (K48)-linked ubiquitination of β2 M, leading to the degradation of β2 M through ERAD-proteasome pathway. Furthermore, we found that RVA infection significantly impeded the level of SLA-I on the surface, and the overexpression of β2 M could recover its expression. In this study, our study demonstrated that RVA infection degrades β2 M via ERAD-proteasome pathway, consequently hampering SLA-I expression on the cell surface. This study would enhance the understanding of the mechanism of how RVA infection induces immune escape.

Prevalence of Rotavirus antigen in children with gastroenteritis in Auchi Etsako West Local Government Area, Edo State, Nigeria.

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of rotavirus infection among children in Auchi, Edo State, Nigeria, and its association with selected demographic factors. Rotavirus infections are a major cause of viral gastroenteritis in children globally, and despite the availability of vaccines, they continue to pose a significant health burden. The study population consisted of 200 children aged 2-15 years, with data collected through a questionnaire and stool samples analysed using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) kits (Abbexa, UK) following the manufacturer's instructions. The overall prevalence of rotavirus infection was found to be 6%, which was relatively low compared to previous studies in Nigeria and other countries. The study revealed that children in the age group of 6-10 years had the highest prevalence of rotavirus infection, while the prevalence was lower among nursery and secondary school children. There was no significant association between any of the participant's demographic factors and rotavirus infection. However, living in rural areas was associated with a higher risk of rotavirus infection compared to semi-urban and urban areas. The study emphasizes the importance of rotavirus vaccination, promoting good hygiene practices, and raising awareness among parents, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. Further investigation is needed to explore additional risk factors and improve understanding of rotavirus infection in this population.