Characterisation of rotavirus G9 strains isolated in the UK between 1995 and 1998.
G9P[6] and G9P[8] rotavirus strains were identified during 1995/96 through the molecular epidemiological surveillance of rotavirus strains circulating in the UK between 1995 and 1998. An increase in the incidence and spread of sporadic infections with rotavirus genotype G9P[8] across the UK was detected in the two following seasons. Partial sequencing of the VP7 gene showed that all the UK strains shared a high degree of homology and were related very closely to G9 strains from the US and from symptomatic infections in India (> or =96% homology). The UK strains were related more distantly to the apathogenic Indian strain 116E (85-87.8% homology). Phylogenetic analysis revealed clustering of the UK strains into 3 different lineages (I to III) and into two sub-lineages within lineage I. There were correlations between VP7 sequence clustering, the P type and the geographical origin of the G9 strains. Partial sequencing of the VP4 gene showed high degree of homology (>98%) among all the P[6] strains, and the sequences obtained from the P[8] strains clustered into 2 of the 3 global lineages described for P[8] strains associated with other G types. These data suggest that G9 strains may be a recent importation into the UK, and that G9P[8] strains may have emerged through reassortment in humans between G9P[6] strains introduced recently and the more prevalent cocirculating G1, G3 and G4 strains that normally carry VP4 genes of P[8] type.
Iturriza-Gómara
M
M
Clinical Microbiology and Public Health Laboratory, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Cubitt
D
D
Steele
D
D
Green
J
J
Brown
D
D
Kang
G
G
Desselberger
U
U
Gray
J
J
D000368:Aged; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000032:analysis; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D017354:Point Mutation; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012367:RNA, Viral; D014764:Viral Proteins