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Updated: Nov 20, 2025
Assays for the Specific Growth Rate and Cell-binding Ability of Rotavirus
Published on: January 28, 2019
Prevalence and genotype distribution of group A rotavirus circulating in Shanxi Province, China during 2015-2019
Lifeng Zhao1, Xiaohong Shi2, Dequan Meng1
1Department of Microbiology Test, Taiyuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, NO. 89 Xinjian South Road, Taiyuan, 030012, Shanxi Province, China.
Insights
Group A rotavirus (RVA) is a significant cause of gastroenteritis in children. The G9P[8] genotype was most prevalent in Shanxi Province, China, indicating a need for improved control strategies.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
Background:
- Group A rotavirus (RVA) is a primary cause of infant gastroenteritis globally.
- Limited data exists on RVA prevalence and genotypes in Shanxi Province, China.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence and genetic characteristics of RVA in hospitalized children in Shanxi Province.
- To identify dominant RVA strains and inform public health interventions.
Main Methods:
- Hospital-based active surveillance from 2015-2019.
- Real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) for RVA detection.
- RT-PCR and sequencing for G and P genotyping.
Main Results:
- 19.0% of 961 children tested positive for RVA.
- Highest infection rate (23.7%) in children aged 12-23 months; seasonal peak in December.
- G9P[8] was the predominant genotype (76.0%), followed by G3P[8] (7.1%).
Conclusions:
- RVA is a major cause of severe infectious gastroenteritis in children in Shanxi.
- The high prevalence of G9P[8] strains suggests current control measures may be insufficient.
- Further research and vaccination strategies are needed to address dominant RVA strains in China.
Background:
Group A rotavirus (RVA), despite being a leading cause of gastroenteritis in infants and young children, is less studied in Shanxi Province, China. The current study was conducted to determine the prevalence and genetic characterization of RVA in hospitalized children younger than 10 years of age with the diagnosis of acute gastroenteritis in Shanxi Province, China.
Methods:
A hospital-based active surveillance of rotavirus gastroenteritis was conducted at Children's Hospital of Shanxi from Jan 1, 2015, through Dec 31, 2019. Rotavirus was detected in stool samples by real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). G- and P-genotypes were determined by reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) and nucleotide sequencing.
Results:
A total of 961 children younger than 10 years of age was enrolled over the study period, of whom 183 (19.0%) were positive for RVA. The highest RVA-infection frequency (23.7%) was found among children aged 12-23 months, and the seasonal peak was in December. G9P[8] was most prevalent (76.0%), followed by G3P[8] (7.1%), G2P[4] (3.3%), G1P[8] (0.5%) and G9P[4] (0.5%).
Conclusions:
These results report for the first time that RVA was one of the main causes of severe infectious gastroenteritis in children, and a high proportion of G9P[8] strains circulating in most areas of Shanxi Province. While the protective efficacy of the rotavirus vaccines has been demonstrated against G9P[8] strains, our results highlight that the dominant strains have not been effectively controlled in China.
