Dominating prevalence of P[8],G1 and P[8],G9 rotavirus strains among children admitted to hospital between 2000 and 2003 in Budapest, Hungary.
Group A rotaviruses are the main cause of acute dehydrating diarrhea in children, responsible for high mortality in developing countries and a significant socio-economic burden associated with treating the disease in developed countries. Two rotavirus vaccine candidates predicated on either homotypic or heterotypic protection have undergone clinical trials recently and await licensure for routine use. In anticipation of a future vaccination campaign in Hungary, the diversity of rotaviruses collected from Budapest between 2000 and 2003 were analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) of the viral genome and by serotyping and genotyping of the outer capsid genes, VP7 and VP4. Among 2,763 rotavirus positive specimens available for analysis, we were able to determine the electropherotype of 2,227, and, of these, 1,517 (68.1%) were subjected to G typing and 1,173 (52.7%) were subjected to P typing. We successfully G typed 1,481 (97.6%) and P typed 1,130 (96.3%) strains, respectively. A total of six G types (G1, 50.2%; G2, 2.2%; G3, 1.7%; G4, 5.8%; G6, 0.6%; and G9, 34.4%) and four P types (P[4], 3.0%; P[6], 0.7%; P[8], 89.9%; and P[9], 1.7%) were identified in nine individual combinations (P[8],G1; P[4],G2; P[8],G3; P[8],G4; P[8],G9; P[6],G4; P[4],G1; P[9],G3; and P[9],G6). The prevalence of VP7 and VP4 specificities varied from year to year. In this regard, a shift in serotype predominance from G1 in 2000-2001 (61.8%) and 2001-2002 (69.7%) to G9 in 2002-2003 (51.3%) was an intriguing observation that has been reported recently in some other countries, as well. The emergence of serotype G9 rotaviruses in Hungary and other parts of the world may have implications for future vaccine development and use, particularly, if current vaccine candidates cannot confer adequate homotypic or heterotypic protection against these strains.
Bányai
Krisztián
K
Regional Laboratory of Virology, Baranya County Institute of State Public Health Service, Pécs, Hungary. bkrota@hotmail.com
Gentsch
Jon R
JR
Schipp
Renáta
R
Jakab
Ferenc
F
Meleg
Edina
E
Mihály
Ilona
I
Szücs
György
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D007297:Inpatients; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D012703:Serotyping
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D036022:Capsid Proteins; D012367:RNA, Viral; C060339:VP4 protein, Rotavirus; C050779:VP7 protein, Rotavirus