Prevalence of group C rotavirus among children in Rhode Island, United States.
BACKGROUND
Group C rotavirus causes sporadic cases and outbreaks of acute diarrhea in humans but its burden as a cause of severe gastroenteritis in children remains unclear.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the epidemiology and burden of group C rotavirus gastroenteritis among children in Rhode Island, United States.


METHODS
Diarrhea stool specimens from 124 children < or =10 years of age were collected, screened for group C and A rotavirus by EIA specific for each group, and further examined by nested PCR and Southern hybridization using primers and probes specific to the VP7 gene of human group C rotavirus. Group C rotavirus-positive fecal specimens were also examined by EM.


RESULTS
Rotavirus was detected in 73 (59.0%) of 124 fecal samples. These included 53 (42.7%) positive for group A, 5 (4.0%) for group C and 15 (12.1%) for both group A and C rotaviruses. Examination of group C-positive samples by EM revealed the presence of largely empty or damaged rotavirus-like particles.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings indicate that group C rotavirus is an important cause or a contributing cause of diarrhea among infants and older children in Rhode Island, United States.
Esona
Mathew D
MD
Division of Viral Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Humphrey
Charles D
CD
Dennehy
Penelope H
PH
Jiang
Baoming
B
D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017931:DNA Primers; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D012237:Rhode Island / Q000453:epidemiology; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D013045:Species Specificity
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D036022:Capsid Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; C050779:VP7 protein, Rotavirus