Molecular Characterization of Human Rotavirus from Children with Diarrhoeal Disease in Sokoto State, Nigeria

This study was conducted to detect and characterize prevalent human group A rotavirus strains from 200 diarrheic children in Sokoto, Nigeria, by ELISA, monoclonal antibody (Mab) serotyping and Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) techniques. Rotavirus was detected in 25.5% of the children. The G-serotypes observed in circulation were G4: 16 (59.3%), G1: 4 (14.8%), G2: 3 (11.1%), G3: 3 (11.1%), and G12: 1 (3.7%). The monoclonal antibody (Mab) serotyping detected G1 and G3 but did not detect G4 and G2 serotypes. The Mab typing of the G1 and G3 serotypes was consistent with the result of the RT-PCR. The VP4 genotypes detected were P[6] 3 (13%), P[8] 11 (47.8%), and the rare human P genotype (P[9]), found in 9 patients (39.1%). Nine strains identified with the common G and P combinations were G4 P[8] 5 (56%), G4 P[6] 1 (11%), G1 P[8] 2 (22%), and G3 P[8] 1 (11%), while seven strains with unusual combinations or rare G or P genotypes identified were G12 P[8] 1 (14%), G2 P[8] 2 (29%), and G4 P[9] 4 (57%). To our knowledge this is the first molecular study of human rotavirus and report of rare human G and P serotypes in Sokoto State.