Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 16, 2026
Assays for the Specific Growth Rate and Cell-binding Ability of Rotavirus
Published on: January 28, 2019
Detection and sequencing of rotavirus among sudanese children
Magzoub Abbas Magzoub1,2,3, Naser Eldin Bilal2, Jalal Ali Bilal4
1National Public Health Laboratory, Ministry of Health, Khartoum, Sudan.
Insights
Group A rotavirus causes significant diarrheal disease in children globally. In Sudan, G1 was the predominant VP7 genotype, with G9 also detected, suggesting current rotavirus vaccines may be effective.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Public Health
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Diarrheal diseases represent a major global public health challenge, disproportionately affecting developing nations.
- Group A rotavirus is a leading cause of severe gastroenteritis in young children worldwide.
- This study focused on characterizing group A rotavirus strains in hospitalized children in Sudan.
Purpose of the Study:
- To detect and genetically characterize group A rotavirus strains in children admitted with gastroenteritis in Sudan.
- To identify the prevalent VP7-G and VP4-P genotypes of rotavirus in the study population.
- To assess the potential match between identified rotavirus strains and existing vaccination programs in Sudan.
Main Methods:
- Collected 755 stool samples from Sudanese children under five with acute gastroenteritis.
- Utilized Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) for rotavirus antigen detection.
- Employed RNA extraction, complementary DNA (cDNA) synthesis, nested PCR, and sequencing for VP7-G and VP4-P genotyping.
Main Results:
- Rotavirus A was detected in 121 out of 755 (16.0%) stool samples.
- Among 24 sequenced samples, the predominant VP7-G genotype was G1 (83.3%), followed by G9 (16.7%).
- A single VP4-P genotype, P[8], was identified in the sequenced samples.
Conclusions:
- The predominant rotavirus VP7-G types in Sudanese children were G1 and G9, with a single VP4-P genotype, P[8].
- The identified rotavirus genotypes appear to align with strains targeted by recently approved rotavirus vaccines in Sudan.
- Further research is recommended to confirm vaccine effectiveness against the circulating strains.
Introduction:
Diarrheal diseases are a big public health problem worldwide, particularly among developing countries. The current study was conducted to detect and characterize group A rotavirus among admitted children with gastroenteritis to the pediatric hospitals, Sudan.
Methods:
A total of 755 stool samples were collected from Sudanese children with less than 5 years of age presenting with acute gastroenteritis during the period from April to September 2010. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to Detection of Rotavirus antigens. Ribonucleic acid (RNAs) were extracted from rotavirus-positive stool samples using (QIAamp® Viral RNA Mini Kit). (Omniscript® Reverse Transcription kit) was used to convert RNA to complementary Deoxyribonucleic acid (cDNA). The cDNAs were used as template for detection of VP4-P (P for Protease-sensitive) and VP7-G (G for Glycoprotein) genotyping of Rotavirus using nested PCR and sequencing.
Results:
Out of the 755 stool samples from children with acute gastroenteritis, 121 were positive for rotavirus A. Among 24 samples that were sequenced; the VP7 predominant G type was G1 (83.3%), followed by G9 (16.7%). Out of these samples, only one VP4 P[8] genotype was detected.
Conclusion:
As a conclusion the VP7 predominant G type was G1, followed by G9 whereas only one VP4 genotype was detected and showed similarity to P[8] GenBank strain. It appears that the recently approved rotavirus vaccines in Sudan are well matched to the rotavirus genotypes identified in this study, though more studies are needed.
