Seroepidemiology of Human Non-Species A Rotavirus Infections in Valencia, Spain

Species A rotavirus (RVA) is a major cause of acute gastroenteritis in children. However, three other rotavirus species (RVB, RVC, and RVH) are also able to infect humans. It has been suggested that vaccination against RVA could facilitate an increase of non-A rotavirus infections. We investigated the antibody prevalence against RVA, RVB, RVC, and RVH in 420 human sera collected between 2020 and 2022 from different age groups in Valencia (Spain). Antibody prevalence rates to RVA, RVB, RVC, and RVH were 79.3%, 17.9%, 18.8%, and 14.5%, respectively. Antibody titers against RVA remained consistent across the different age groups, and RVB showed low titers except in younger individuals. RVC-specific antibodies peaked in children 5-10 years of age, whereas RVH exhibited the highest titers in the elderly. The detection of antibodies against non-A rotaviruses in humans in Spain, for the first time against RVB and RVH, highlights the need for their surveillance.