[A novel rotavirus causing large scale of adult diarrhea in Shi Jiazhuang]

An outbreak of adult diarrhea causing more than 1,000 hospitalized cases among graduates in a university in Shi Jiazhuang city (Hebei province), occurred in 10-28, April, 1997. The non-bacterial pathogenic agent is confirmed as Rotavirus first by PAGE. Forteen samples have been demonstrated sharing the same nucleic acid electrophoresis pattern of 4-2-1-1-1-1-1. The positive rate was 47% (thirty samples have been checked) with no other RV pattern. Dada showed that RV with this kind of nucleic acid electrophoresis pattern were responsible for the outbreaks acute diarrhea in adults. The novel RV and known ADRV was RT-PCR with end-primers 5, 9 of typical ADRV, the positive control typical ADRV's results are positive, the novel RV's are negative. Experimental results showed that the novel RV did not belong to group B RV, totally different from all the known ARDV. This case was the first reported one in Hebei province with an outbreak of adult diarrhea not by any known ADRV.