Molecular typing of rotaviruses in gastroenteritis cases detected in foreign children aged 0-5 years

Rotavirus (RV) is one of the causes of viral gastroenteritis in childhood. It is one of the most common causes of mortality and morbidity in developing countries. The aim of this study was to determine the molecular typing of rotaviruses in gastroenteritis cases detected in foreign children aged 0-5 years. The study was conducted between May 2022 and November 2023 by collecting stool samples from 120 foreign children aged 0-5 years in Gaziantep region. The samples of 74 (33 girls, 41 boys) patients who were found positive for rotavirus by immunochromatographic method were typed by molecular method. The study was carried out in the Microbiology Laboratory of Gaziantep University Şahinbey Research and Application Hospital. Forward and reverse primers (Macrogen, Republic of Korea) were used to amplify rotavirus VP7 and VP4 genes. One Step RT-PCR technique using miRCURY LNA™ SYBR Green PCR Kit (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany) was used for genotyping. The distribution of rotavirus antigen positivity between genders was not statistically significant. P4, P6, P8 positivity was found in 32.4% (24), P6 in 17.6% (13), P8 in 37.8% (28) of the foreign children included in the study. G genotypes were G1 in 32.4% (24), G4 in 18.9% (14), G9 in 23% (17) of the samples. G8 positivity was not found in any of the patients. In mixed serotypes in which both G and P types were detected together, (15) 23.8% G1P[8] genotype combination was observed, (6) 9.5% G2P[4] and G9P[6] were detected. No significant difference was found between age groups in terms of the distribution of VP7-G genotypes. P9 genotype was found in 9% of girls and 22% of boys and the difference between girls and boys in terms of P9 genotype positivity was found to be significant (p<0.05). G1P[8] and G2P[4] genotypes were the most common genotypes in cases with rotavirus infection. Although there were common serotypes in the region, different serotypes were found in foreign children. More detailed studies should be carried out on this subject.