Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 26, 2026

Assays for the Specific Growth Rate and Cell-binding Ability of Rotavirus
Published on: January 28, 2019
[Molecular epidemiologic survey of rotaviruses from infants and children with diarrhea in Shanghai]
Mei Zeng1, Qi-rong Zhu, You Zhang
1Children's Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China.
Insights
Group A rotavirus was the primary cause of diarrhea in Shanghai children from 1999-2001. Serotypes G1, G3, and G2 were most common, with G1 dominating, and long electropherotypes were prevalent.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Molecular Epidemiology
- Public Health
Context:
- Rotavirus is a leading cause of severe diarrheal disease in infants and young children globally.
- Understanding the circulating strains and their genetic diversity is crucial for developing effective prevention and control strategies.
- This study focuses on the molecular epidemiology of rotaviruses in Shanghai, China, between 1999 and 2001.
Purpose:
- To investigate the molecular epidemiologic features of rotaviruses, specifically Group A rotavirus, circulating in hospitalized children in Shanghai.
- To identify the predominant G serotypes and electropherotypes of rotaviruses.
- To analyze the relationship between rotavirus genotypes and clinical manifestations.
Summary:
- A total of 1230 stool samples were analyzed. Group A rotavirus was detected in 40.1% of samples using Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (PAGE).
- Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) and dot blot hybridization identified G serotypes. G1 was the most prevalent (55.5%), followed by G3 (27.6%) and G2 (9.4%).
- Long electropherotypes were dominant. No significant differences in age or clinical symptoms were observed among children infected with different G serotypes. Co-infections with multiple G types were also noted.
Impact:
- This research provides valuable data on the molecular epidemiology of rotavirus in Shanghai during a specific period.
- The findings highlight the predominance of G1, G3, and G2 serotypes and long electropherotypes, informing public health surveillance and vaccine strategies.
- It underscores the importance of continued molecular surveillance to track evolving rotavirus strains and their impact on child health.
Objective:
To investigate molecular epidemiologic features of rotaviruses circulating in Shanghai, China.
Methods:
Stool samples were collected from 1230 hospitalized children with community-acquired and nosocomially acquired diarrhea in Children's Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University between November 1, 1999 and December 31, 2001. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) was used to detect rotavirus genomic RNA and identify electropherotypes of group A rotavirus RNAs. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to amplify full length VP7 gene and dot blot hybridization was performed to identify rotavirus G serotypes using digoxigenin-labelled variable regions from VP7 genes as probes. These probes were amplified by PCR from recombinant plasmids containing full length G1, G2, G3 and G4 VP7 genes from rotavirus field strains detected in Beijing and digoxigenin labelled dUTP was integrated into the PCR products. The Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance was employed to analyze whether there were significant differences in variables.
Results:
Out of 1230 samples investigated, 493 (40.1%) were group A rotavirus gene positive by PAGE, among which 397 (80.5%) showed long electropherotypes, 55 (11.2%) showed short electropherotypes, 18 (3.7%) showed mixed electropherotypes which suggested that the children were co-infected by rotaviruses with different electropherotypes, 23 (4.7%) were non-typable because of degradation of some of the genomic RNA fragments. No group B or group C rotavirus was found. RT-PCRs were performed for 328 fecal specimens containing sufficient rotavirus RNAs and VP7 gene products were obtained from 254 (77.4%) samples. Dot blot hybridization showed serotype G1 accounted for 55.5% (141) of these samples, serotype G3 accounted for 27.6% (70), serotype G2 accounted for 9.4% (24), co-infection by 2 rotaviruses with different G types accounted for 6.3% (16), only 1 G4 was detected and 2 were non-typable. The genomic RNA patterns of all G2 strains were short and those of G1, G3 and G4 strains were long. There were no statistically significant differences for age distribution and clinical manifestations among those infants and children infected by rotaviruses with different G serotypes.
Conclusion:
Group A rotavirus is the major pathogen for diarrhea in infants and children in Shanghai during the period of Nov. 1999 to Dec. 2001. Rotaviruses with long electropherotype were dominant during these years. Serotypes G1 to G3 constituted 98.8% of all 254 strains tested, and G1 was the most common serotype followed by G3 and G2, whereas serotype G4 was seldom found. Some of the children were co-infected by rotaviruses with different G serotypes. Clinical manifestations were not related to the infecting rotavirus with different G serotypes.
Related Concept Videos
Poliomyelitis
Investigation of Disease Outbreaks
Bacterial Gastroenteritis
Respiratory Syncytial Virus Disease
