Group B and C porcine rotaviruses identified for the first time in South Africa

The incidence of rotavirus at a pig farm in Gauteng was determined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). Faecal specimens were collected from 172 litters over a 6-month period. Rotavirus was detected in 37.8% of piglets exhibiting signs of scouring. When these PAGE patterns were examined, 84.6% group A, 4.6% group B and 10.8% group C rotaviruses were observed. A few specimens subsequently collected from other farms in the Gauteng. North-West and Northern Provinces also contained group B and C electropherotypes. This is the first report of group B and group C rotaviruses in the South African pig population.