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Serological and genomic characterization of human rotaviruses detected in China
1Department of Hygiene, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Japan.
Insights
Rotavirus surveillance in China revealed high frequencies of group A rotavirus, with G2-P[4] and G1-P[8] strains predominant in 1994 and 1995, respectively. Genetic analysis identified unique strain characteristics and relationships to other rotavirus groups.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Molecular Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Rotavirus is a leading cause of severe diarrheal disease in children worldwide.
- Surveillance of rotavirus strains is crucial for understanding epidemiology and informing vaccine strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize rotavirus strains circulating in Wuhan, China, between 1994 and 1995.
- To investigate the genetic diversity and evolutionary relationships of detected rotavirus strains.
Main Methods:
- Stool specimens from children with diarrhea were screened for rotavirus using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.
- Rotavirus G serotyping and P typing (VP4 genotyping) were performed using ELISA and PCR.
- Nucleotide sequencing of VP8* and NSP5 genes was conducted for phylogenetic analysis.
Main Results:
- Group A rotavirus was frequently detected (40.8-56.5%).
- Predominant strains were G2-P[4] in 1994 and G1-P[8] in 1995.
- Unusual G-P type combinations and a single group C rotavirus were identified.
- Phylogenetic analysis revealed distinct clustering of Chinese P[9] and P[8] strains.
Conclusions:
- The study highlights the dynamic nature of rotavirus strain prevalence in China.
- Genetic analysis provides insights into the origins and evolution of rotavirus strains.
- Findings contribute to the global understanding of rotavirus epidemiology.
Abstract:
A total of 1,385 stool specimens were collected from children with diarrhea at two hospitals in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, in 1994 and 1995, and screened for rotavirus by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of viral RNA. Group A rotavirus was detected with high frequency; 56.5% (87/154) and 40.8% (502/1,231) of the specimens collected in 1994 and 1995, respectively, were positive for rotavirus. Assignment of G serotype and P type (VP4 genotype) of group A rotavirus by ELISA with monoclonal antibodies and/or PCR, respectively, showed that strains of G2-P[4] and G1-P[8] specificity were predominant in 1994 and in 1995, respectively. In contrast, a single strain was found to have a P[9] type specificity, and no G4 strain was detected. Unusual combinations of RNA pattern-subgroup-G serotype-P type, such as long pattern-subgroup I-G1-P[8], short pattern-subgroup II-G3-P[4] and short pattern-subgroup I-G1-P[4], were detected in four specimens. Nucleotide sequences of the VP8* and/or NSP5 genes from two Chinese P[8] strains 470 and 582 and one Chinese P[9] strain 512 as well as five Japanese P[9] strains (K8, AU1, M318, 0264, and 0265) were determined and compared with the published sequences of the corresponding gene. In the phylogenetic tree of VP8* sequences of P[9] strains, which formed two clusters each having strain K8 or AU-1 as the representative strain, the Chinese P[9] strain was found in the cluster represented by AU-1, although it was most distantly related to other strains. While NSP5 sequences of human strains with P[9] specificity were related to simian and bovine strains, that of Chinese P[8] strains was most closely related to those of porcine strains. A single group C rotavirus (No. 208) was detected. Nucleotide sequences of its VP4, VP6, VP7, and NSP4 genes were very similar to those of group C human rotaviruses detected worldwide.