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Serotype of Nigerian rotavirus strains
M I Adah1, A Rohwedder, O D Olaleye
1Institute of Medical Microbiology and Virology, Ruhr-Universität, Bochum, Germany.
Insights
Rotavirus infection affected 14.3% of Nigerian children under five, with most cases in 6-9 month olds. Serotype G3 was common in the south, while mixed infections prevailed in the north, impacting vaccine strategies.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
Background:
- Rotavirus is a leading cause of severe diarrheal disease in children globally.
- Understanding rotavirus epidemiology, including serotype and electropherotype distribution, is crucial for effective vaccine development and public health interventions in Nigeria.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the electropherotype and serotype distribution of rotavirus in Nigerian children under five.
- To identify the most affected age groups and geographical variations in rotavirus strains.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 314 stool samples from children < 5 years using Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (PAGE), ELISA, PCR, and Dot-blot hybridization.
- Serotyping and electropherotyping of detected rotavirus strains.
Main Results:
- 14.3% of children tested positive for rotavirus antigen.
- The highest infection rate was observed in children aged 6-9 months (35.6%).
- Serotype G3 predominated in southern Nigeria (62.5%), while mixed infections were more common in northern Nigeria (63.6%). Serotypes G2, G4, and G8 were not detected.
Conclusions:
- The study identified significant rotavirus prevalence and distinct serotype patterns in Nigerian children.
- Findings highlight the need for region-specific vaccine strategies and underscore potential limitations of current typing methods for detecting novel serotypes.
Abstract:
Three hundred and fourteen stool samples collected from children < 5 years between December 1993 and August 1995 were analysed by PAGE, ELISA, PCR and Dot-blot hybridization technique for electropherotype and serotype distribution of rotavirus infection among Nigerian paediatric patients. 14.3% of the children were positive for rotavirus antigen. Children aged 6-9 months were most often infected, accounting for 35.6% of all positive samples, 91.1% of rotavirus-positive samples could be serotyped. Serotypes G2, G4 and G8 were not detected. Serotype G3 predominated (62.5%) in southern Nigeria, while mixed infection specificity was more widespread (63.6%) in northern Nigeria. The presence of some untypeable samples may indicate serotypes which the serotype-specific primers and cDNA probes used could not detect. Electropherotypes of 26 (57.7%) of the positive samples were determined. Two and 3 migration patterns were observed among the short and long-pattern electropherotypes, respectively. Implications for vaccine development and utilization in the country are discussed.