Molecular epidemiology of rotavirus infections in children with acute gastroenteritis in our region

Rotavirus is the major cause of acute gastroenteritis in infants and young children worldwide and is the important agent of child deaths. To investigate the molecular epidemiology of rotavirus infections in children with acute gastroenteritis in our region, 188 stool samples were obtained from children under 5 years old with acute gastroenteritis during the year 2008. Stool samples were analyzed by ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) for group A rotavirus antigen. RT-PCR (reverse-transcription-polymerase chain reaction) multiplex semi-nested PCR were used for rotavirus G and P genotyping. From a total of 188 stool samples, 41 (21.8%) were found to be positive for rotavirus antigen. The most prevalent rotavirus genotype was G1P[4] with the rate of 26.8%, followed by G4P[4] 17%, G9/P[4] 7.4%, G1P[6] and G1P[10] genotypes with 2.4% rate of each. The prevalence of mixed infections was 36.6%. The predominant G genotype was G1 (70.7%) followed by G4 (19.5%) and G9 (17%). The most common P genotype was P[4] (85.3%) followed by P[10] (29.2%), P[8] (12.1%), P[11] (7.4%) and P[6] (4.9%). The detection of distribution of rotavirus G and P genotypes among children with acute gastroenteritis in our region will contribute to the development of rotavirus vaccine strategies.