Symptomatic human rotavirus subgroups, serotypes & electropherotypes in Hyderabad, India

A total of 352 stool specimens obtained from children under 2 yr of age with acute diarrhoea, between January 1998 and March 1999, were screened for the presence of rotavirus by RNA-PAGE. Symptomatic human rotaviruses were detected in 57 of 352 (16.19%) specimens by RNA-PAGE. These 57 samples were tested for rotavirus double stranded RNA pattern and among these, 46 samples were tested for subgroup and serotype specificities. Among the 46 strains tested, 29 strains were found to be subgroup II and remaining 17 strains were subgroup I, indicating that subgroup II strains are more predominant than subgroup I strains. Subgroup I and II strains were circulating concurrently throughout the study period. Seventeen strains with 'short' RNA pattern and subgroup I specificity could not be assigned as serotype 2 strains as they exhibited cross-reactivity to MAbs specific for more than one serotype. Of the 29 subgroup II strains with 'long' RNA pattern, 16 (55.17%) were serotype 1, 8 (27.58%) were serotype 4. Five (17.24%) showed dual reactivity to serotypes 1 and 3. Our results indicated that serotype 1 and G2-like strains are predominant in Hyderabad. None of the virus strains showed an unusual RNA pattern.