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Assays for the Specific Growth Rate and Cell-binding Ability of Rotavirus
Published on: January 28, 2019
Changing molecular epidemiology of rotavirus infection after introduction of monovalent rotavirus vaccination in
Indrani Mukhopadhya1, Heather Murdoch2, Susan Berry1
1Gastrointestinal Research Group, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK.
Insights
The Rotarix® vaccine significantly reduced rotavirus (RV) cases in Scotland, decreasing infections by 74.4% annually. Post-vaccination, the dominant RV strain shifted from G1P[8] to G2P[4].
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Immunology
- Public Health
Background:
- Rotaviruses (RV) are a primary cause of gastroenteritis in young children globally.
- Rotarix®, a monovalent rotavirus vaccine (G1P[8]), was implemented in Scotland's childhood immunization program in June 2013.
- This study investigated the impact of RV vaccination on circulating RV strains in Scotland.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the prevalent rotavirus strains in Scotland before and after the introduction of the Rotarix® vaccine.
- To assess the effectiveness of the RV vaccine in reducing rotavirus infections.
- To identify shifts in dominant rotavirus genotypes following vaccine implementation.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of RV-positive fecal samples from Scottish virology laboratories (2012-2015).
- Genotyping of VP7 and VP4 genes using multiplex hemi-nested PCR and sequencing.
- Statistical comparison of RV prevalence and strain distribution using Mann-Whitney U and Chi-square tests.
Main Results:
- A significant annual reduction of 74.4% in RV infections was observed post-vaccination.
- Prevalence of G1P[8] strains decreased from 72.1% to 15% after vaccine introduction.
- G2P[4] became the dominant strain (21.9%), with increases in G9P[8], G12P[8], and G3P[8] strains.
Conclusions:
- Rotavirus vaccination in Scotland led to a significant decrease in reported RV cases.
- A notable shift in dominant RV strains occurred, from G1P[8] to G2P[4].
- Ongoing surveillance is crucial for understanding cross-protection and vaccine-induced strain dynamics.
Background:
Rotaviruses (RV) are the leading cause of gastroenteritis in children less than five years of age worldwide. Rotarix®, a live attenuated monovalent vaccine containing a RV strain of G1P[8] specificity has been included in the childhood immunisation schedule from June 2013 in Scotland. This study aimed to characterise the prevalent RV strains in Scotland before and after the introduction of the RV vaccine.
Methods:
RV positive faecal samples from Scottish virology laboratories covering the years 2012-2015 were genotyped. Viral RNA was extracted from faecal suspensions. VP7 and VP4 gene specific primers were used for multiplex hemi-nested PCRs and sequencing. Mann-Whitney U test and Chi-square test were used for statistical comparison.
Results:
There was a decrease in RV positive samples from the Scottish virology laboratories from 7409 samples in the pre-vaccination years (2009-2013) to 760 in 2014-2015, with an annual reduction of RV infections by 74.4% (RR-3.95; 95%-CI, 3.53-4.42, p<0.001). 362 samples from the pre-vaccination period and 278 samples from the post-vaccination were genotyped. There was a drop in prevalence of G1P[8] strains (72.1%, 95%-CI, 67.42-76.33 to 15%, 95%-CI, 11.38-19.79) after introduction of the vaccine. In the post-vaccination period G2P[4] was the dominant strain in Scotland (21.9%, 95%-CI, 17.48-27.17) with increase in G9P[8] (12.9%, 95%-CI, 9.50-7.41), G12P[8] (12.2%, 95%-CI, 8.89-16.60) and G3P[8] (11.9%, 95%-CI, 8.58-16.20) infections. Phylogenetic analysis of the VP7 and VP4 genes showed no major differences between the pre and post-vaccination G1P[8] strains.
Conclusion:
This laboratory based surveillance study shows significant reduction in reported RV cases and a shift in proportion from G1P[8] to G2P[4] strains after introduction of RV vaccination in Scotland. The genotyping data from a subset of the total reported RV cases will be used to ascertain cross protection against strains and identify vaccine induced RV strain shifts in the years to come.
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