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Published on: January 28, 2019
Predominance of G9P[8] rotavirus strains throughout France, 2014-2017
J Kaplon1, N Grangier2, S Pillet3
1National Reference Centre for Gastroenteritis Viruses, Laboratory of Biology and Pathology, University Hospital of Dijon, France; UMR PAM A 02.102 Procédés Alimentaires et Microbiologiques, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté/AgroSup Dijon, France; French Rotavirus Network, France.
Insights
Group A rotavirus causes severe gastroenteritis in children. G9P[8] rotaviruses are now the dominant strain in France, offering insights into natural genotype shifts in unvaccinated populations.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Pediatrics
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Group A rotavirus is a significant global cause of acute gastroenteritis in young children.
- A surveillance network in France monitors rotavirus infections and emerging strains.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate rotavirus infections in French children under five.
- To identify and track the predominant rotavirus genotypes circulating in France.
Main Methods:
- Prospective surveillance of rotavirus-positive stool samples from 2394 children (2014-2017).
- Rotavirus genotyping of outer capsid proteins VP4 and VP7 using RT-PCR.
Main Results:
- G9P[8] became the predominant rotavirus genotype in France from 2015-2017, rising from 32.1% to 77.3%.
- G1P[8] rates decreased significantly during the same period.
- Phylogenetic analysis confirmed G9P[8] strains belonged to specific lineages (III and P[8]-3) with a consistent genetic background.
Conclusions:
- G9P[8] rotaviruses are now the most prevalent circulating genotype in France, a decade after their initial emergence.
- Data from this unvaccinated population provide a baseline for understanding rotavirus genotype dynamics in Europe, particularly for countries with vaccination programs.
Objectives:
Group A rotavirus is a major cause of acute gastroenteritis in young children worldwide. A prospective surveillance network has been set up in France to investigate rotavirus infections and to detect the emergence of potentially epidemic strains.
Methods:
From 2014 to 2017, rotavirus-positive stool samples were collected from 2394 children under 5 years old attending the paediatric emergency units of 13 large hospitals. Rotaviruses were genotyped by RT-PCR with regard to their outer capsid proteins VP4 and VP7.
Results:
Genotyping of 2421 rotaviruses showed that after a marked increase in G9P[8] (32.1%) during the 2014-2015 season, G9P[8] became the predominant genotype during the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 seasons with detection rates of 64.1% and 77.3%, respectively, whereas G1P[8] were detected at low rates of 16.8% and 6.6%, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis of the partial rotavirus VP7 and VP4 coding genes revealed that all of these G9P [8] strains belonged to the lineage III and the P [8]-3 lineage, respectively, and shared the same genetic background (G9-P[8]-I1-R1-C1-M1-A1-N1-T1-E1-H1) as did most of previously detected G9P[8] strains and particularly the emerging G9P[8] strains from the 2004-2005 season in France.
Conclusions:
G9P[8] rotaviruses have become the predominant circulating genotype for the first time since their emergence a decade ago. In the absence of rotavirus immunization programmes in France, our data give an insight into the natural fluctuation of rotavirus genotypes in a non-vaccinated population and provide a base line for a better interpretation of data in European countries with routine rotavirus vaccination.
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