Genetic diversity of sapovirus in fecal specimens from infants and children with acute gastroenteritis in Pakistan.
A total of 517 fecal specimens collected from infants and children with acute gastroenteritis in Karachi city, Pakistan during 1990-1994 were examined for the presence of sapovirus by RT-PCR and sequence analysis methods. Sapovirus was identified in 17 of 517 (3.2%) specimens. Sapovirus was further clustered into three distinct genogroups (I, II and IV) and these presented 70.6%, 23.5% and 5.9%, respectively. Our results clearly indicated that sapovirus could be classified into 7 GI and 4 GII genotypes. It was noteworthy to point out that sapovirus detected among Pakistani infants and children with acute gastroenteritis demonstrated the great genetic diversity and presented novel sapovirus genotypes.
Department of Developmental Medical Sciences, Institute of International Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
T G
TG
Phan
M
M
Okame
T A
TA
Nguyen
O
O
Nishio
S
S
Okitsu
H
H
Ushijima
D000208:Acute Disease; D017250:Caliciviridae Infections / Q000821:virology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000821:virology*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010154:Pakistan; D029341:Sapovirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification