title: Seasonal shifts of group A rotavirus strains as a possible mechanism of persistence in the human population.
abstract: This article demonstrates how the seasonal predominance of a new rotavirus strain in Asuncion, Paraguay is correlated with a wide spectrum of age groups of children infected in that given season. Therefore, this study provides new evidence to support the idea that seasonal shift of rotavirus strains is a possible mechanism used by the virus to evade herd immunity (acquired by the population due to previous infections) and, thus, ultimately persist in that population.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biología Molecular, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de Salud, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, Asunción, Paraguay. gabriel_parra@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Gabriel I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Parra
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D032521:Immunity, Herd; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D010239:Paraguay / Q000453:epidemiology; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D012621:Seasons