title: Atypical rotavirus identified from young children with diarrhoea in South Africa.
abstract: The study was undertaken for antigenic characterization of rotavirus strains isolated from South African children. During July 1996-July 1997, an epidemiological surveillance of rotavirus-associated gastroenteritis was carried out in Pretoria and Gauteng provinces. In total, 1,229 diarrhoeal faecal samples were collected from a pathology laboratory. Of 389 (32%) rotavirus strains detected, most (97%) were group A rotaviruses by serological assay. However, 12 rotavirus strains identified did not apparently carry the common group A-specific antigen as determined by both commercial and monoclonal antibody-based ELISAs. Electrophoretic analysis of the viral RNA genome revealed that these strains shared a common electropherotype and that this resembled the group A rotavirus constellation of RNA segments. Furthermore, the conserved terminal sequences of the group A VP6 and VP7 genes could not be targeted by standard reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction with a routine set of primers to the VP6 or VP7 genes. These strains present an interesting phenotypic variation of the recognized rotaviruses and warrant further characterization.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sebata
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Steele
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000821:virology*; D003968:Diarrhea, Infantile / Q000821:virology; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000821:virology*; D013019:South Africa
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral