title: Geographic information systems and genotyping in identification of rotavirus G12 infections in residents of an urban slum with subsequent detection in hospitalized children: emergence of G12 genotype in South India.
abstract: Rotavirus infections by G12 strains in several countries have recently been described. In this study, we report the emergence of G12 strains in south India. Fourteen cases of G12 infection were identified between June and September 2005. G12 was seen in combination with P[6], P[8], or nontypeable P type. Nine cases, including five symptomatic infections and four asymptomatic infections, were identified as part of routine surveillance for rotavirus infections in a birth cohort in the community between June and July 2005. Significant temporal and time-space clustering of eight of these cases represents a possible recent introduction of a new rotavirus VP7 genotype. Previous rotavirus infections had been documented for six of the nine children in the community. In the following 2 months, five cases of G12 infection were identified among children presenting to a referral hospital with diarrhea. This is the first description of symptomatic and asymptomatic G12 infections in children in the community. The detection of G12 strains from different parts of the world in recent years suggests the possibility of its emergence as an important global genotype. Monitoring of cocirculating rotavirus strains and detection of emerging strains is important in the context of the availability of rotavirus vaccines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India.
authors.forename: Sasirekha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ramani
authors.forename: Indrani
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Banerjee
authors.forename: Beryl Primrose
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Gladstone
authors.forename: Rajiv
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sarkar
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Selvapandian
authors.forename: Andrea M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Le Fevre
authors.forename: Shabbar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jaffar
authors.forename: Miren
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iturriza-Gomara
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.forename: Mary K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Estes
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Gagandeep
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kang
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D005838:Genotype; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011204:Poverty Areas; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D012621:Seasons; D014505:Urban Population