Seroepidemiology and molecular epidemiology of the Chinese rotavirus

The Chinese rotavirus which causes epidemics of diarrhoea in adult humans was isolated in 1983. This virus, designated adult diarrhoea rotavirus (ADRV), resembles typical rotaviruses morphologically and has a genome made up of 11 discrete segments of double-stranded RNA. Because the Chinese rotavirus has a unique RNA pattern on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and is antigenically distinct from group A rotaviruses, it is tentatively included in group B. Infection with ADRV or ADRV-related viruses (as shown by serological study) is detected in human populations as widespread as mainland China, Hong Kong, Australia, the United States and Canada, and in some domestic animals. RNA co-electrophoresis has shown homology of isolates from 12 different outbreaks (with some minor variations at segments 10, 11, 3 and 5). cDNA probes and monoclonal antibodies have been prepared to improve the detection and further characterization of the virus.