Environmental dissemination of group A rotavirus: P-type, G-type and subgroup characterization.
Rotaviruses A (RV-A) infection is the most common cause of acute diarrheal diseases in infants and the dissemination of these viruses in the environment represents a public health hazard. The present study aims to evaluate reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) based protocols for the detection of RV-A genes in different types of environmental samples. RV-A were concentrated by the adsorption-elution method using negatively charged membranes associated with a Centriprep Concentrator 50. The RV-A VP4, VP7 and VP6 genes were detected using RT-PCR in river water from the Amazon Hydrographic basin (Northern region) and from wastewater in a sewage treatment plant in Rio de Janeiro (Southeast region), Brazil. RV-A were successfully detected in water environmental samples by the methods used. The detection of the VP6 gene by RT-PCR was the most sensitive for detecting RV-A in environmental samples (44.0%), when compared to the detection of the VP4 (33.3%) and VP7 (25.3%) genes. Based on nucleotide sequence and phylogenetic analysis of the partial VP6 gene, 22 environmental samples were determined to be subgroup II (Wa-like). These results indicate that analysis of environmental samples could possibly make a valuable contribution to studies on the epidemiology of RV-A.
Ferreira
F F M
FF
Laboratório de Virologia Comparada e Ambiental, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Pavilhão Hélio & Peggy Pereira, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Avenida Brasil, 4365-Maguinhos 21040-360, Rio de Janeiro RJ, Brazil.
Guimarães
F R
FR
Fumian
T M
TM
Victoria
M
M
Vieira
C B
CB
Luz
S
S
Shubo
T
T
Leite
J P G
JP
Miagostovich
M P
MP
D001938:Brazil; D004777:Environment; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D005814:Genes, Viral; D006801:Humans; D010802:Phylogeny; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012703:Serotyping; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid; D014871:Water Microbiology; D018508:Water Purification