title: Molecular characterization of rotaviruses circulating in the population in Turkey.
abstract: Of a total of 508 stool specimens from children with acute diarrhoea, mostly under the age of 5 years, collected in nine cities in the western and southeastern regions of Turkey between May 2000 and October 2002, 119 (23.4%) were found positive for rotaviruses (RV) by ELISA. Positive samples were characterized by electropherotyping and G and P genotyping. A subset of G and P types were confirmed by nucleic acid sequencing. The most prevalent types found in this collection included G4P[8], accounting for 27/64 (42.2%) of the fully characterized strains. G1P[8], G2P[4] and G3P[8] were found in 17 (26.6%), 2 (3.1%) and one (1.5%) samples respectively. Less common strains such as G9P[8] were found in two (3.2%) samples and G2P[8], G1P[6], G2P[6] and G4P[6], possible reassortant viruses, were found in five (7.8%), 2 (3.1%), one (1.5%) and four (6.3%) samples respectively. Mixed infections were found in six (7.3%) samples and were associated with combinations of G1 + G2, G1 + G4, G1 + G9 and G4 + G9 strains. This is the first molecular epidemiology study of its kind to be carried out in Turkey and suggests a significant diversity of co-circulating rotavirus strains.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biology & Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Gaziantep University, Gaziantep, Turkey. ocatal@gantep.edu.tr
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Cataloluk
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iturriza
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gray
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D001483:Base Sequence; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D003968:Diarrhea, Infantile / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012494:Sampling Studies; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012703:Serotyping; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral