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Published on: January 28, 2019
Burden and Molecular Epidemiology of Rotavirus Causing Diarrhea among Under-Five Children: A Hospital-based Study
Arpit Kumar Shrivastava1, N Samarasimha Reddy2, Sidhartha Giri2
1Department of Biotechnology, Infection Biology Laboratory, KIIT Deemed to be University, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India.
Insights
Rotavirus (RVA) causes severe gastroenteritis in young children. This study found RVA in 30.62% of cases in Eastern India, with G3P[8] and G1P[8] as the most common strains.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Epidemiology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Rotavirus (RVA) is a leading cause of severe gastroenteritis in children globally.
- Diverse RVA strains exhibit geographic-specific prevalence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the burden and molecular epidemiology of RVA in children under five with gastroenteritis in Eastern India.
- To identify prevalent RVA genotypes circulating in the region.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 320 children under five with gastroenteritis.
- RVA VP6 antigen detection using enzyme immunoassay (EIA).
- RNA extraction, reverse transcription, and heminested multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for RVA genotyping.
Main Results:
- RVA was detected in 30.62% of the children.
- The highest incidence was observed in children aged 24-36 months (34.61%).
- G3P[8] (44.09%) and G1P[8] (32.65%) were the predominant genotypes, with single genotypes identified in 87.62% of typed samples.
Conclusions:
- Rotavirus gastroenteritis affects over 30% of young children in Eastern India, particularly those aged 24-36 months.
- The predominant RVA genotypes identified were G1, G3, and P[8].
- Further large-scale studies are recommended to understand RVA genotype diversity for informing vaccination strategies.
Background:
Rotavirus (RVA) causes severe gastroenteritis in under-five children, and there are many diverse strains of the virus that are localized to different parts of the world.
Objectives:
To study the burden and molecular epidemiology of RVA causing gastroenteritis among children from Eastern India.
Materials And Methods:
This hospital-based cross-sectional study included children under-five with gastroenteritis. Demographic and clinical parameters were recorded in a predesigned pro forma. Stool samples collected from these children were initially screened for RVA VP6 antigen by enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Each EIA-positive sample was then subjected to RNA extraction, followed by reverse transcription, and heminested multiplex polymerase chain reaction for genotyping of RVA strains.
Results:
Of 320 included children, RVA was detected in 30.62% (98/320) cases by EIA. The highest incidence for RVA-positive cases (34.61%) was observed among children in the age group of 24-36 months, followed by 0-12 months (33.04%). Of the 97 completely typed samples, single genotype was detected in 85 (87.62%) samples with either G (VP7) or P (VP4) types. However, mixed genotypes were detected in 12 (11.21%) samples. G3P[8] (44.09%) was the most common genotype, followed by G1P[8] (32.65%), G2[P4] (5.10%), G1[P6] (3.06%), and G9[P4] (1.02%).
Conclusions:
The present study found RVA positivity in 30.62% of children with gastroenteritis, with the highest burden among 24-36 months old. The predominant genotypes were G1, G3, and P[8]. Further large-scale/multicentric studies should be conducted to document the diversity of circulating RVA genotypes in this region for giving inputs for vaccination strategy.
