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Assays for the Specific Growth Rate and Cell-binding Ability of Rotavirus
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Assays for the Specific Growth Rate and Cell-binding Ability of Rotavirus

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Data mining from a 27-years rotavirus surveillance in Palermo, Italy

Simona De Grazia1, Floriana Bonura1, Claudia Colomba1

  • 1Dipartimento di Scienze per la Promozione della Salute e Materno infantile "G. D'Alessandro", Universita' di Palermo, Palermo, Italy.

Infection, Genetics and Evolution : Journal of Molecular Epidemiology and Evolutionary Genetics in Infectious Diseases
|March 18, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Rotavirus infection affected 32.7% of young children in Palermo over 27 years. The G1P[8] strain predominated, but other rotavirus strains evolved and emerged over time.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Epidemiology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Rotavirus is a leading cause of severe diarrheal disease in young children globally.
  • Long-term surveillance is crucial for understanding rotavirus epidemiology and strain dynamics.
  • Previous studies have documented rotavirus seasonality and prevalent strains in various regions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze 27 years of rotavirus surveillance data in Palermo, Sicily.
  • To identify prevalent rotavirus strains and their temporal variations.
  • To investigate the evolution of rotavirus genotypes and antigenic epitopes.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of hospitalised children under 5 years old from 1985-2012.
  • Detection and genotyping of rotavirus strains from fecal samples.
  • Phylogenetic analysis of viral VP7 and VP8* genes.

Main Results:

  • Rotavirus infection was detected in 32.7% of 6522 hospitalised children.
  • Peak rotavirus activity occurred from winter to mid-spring.
  • G1P[8] was the predominant strain, with occasional emergence of G9P[8], G4P[8], and G2P[4].
  • Phylogenetic analyses revealed diverse viral lineages and sublineages, with amino acid substitutions in antigenic epitopes.

Conclusions:

  • This study provides one of the longest temporal observations of rotavirus epidemiology in Europe.
  • Rotavirus strain diversity and evolution, including changes in antigenic epitopes, were observed over 27 years.
  • Understanding these dynamics is essential for vaccine effectiveness and public health strategies.

Keywords:
EpidemiologyGenotypingItalyPhylogenetic analysesRotavirus

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