title: Rotavirus gastroenteritis in children in 4 regions in Brazil: a hospital-based surveillance study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Rotavirus is a major cause of gastroenteritis in children. Knowledge of rotavirus genotypes is important for vaccination strategies.
  
  
  METHODS
  During 2005-2006, rotavirus surveillance studies were conducted in São Paulo, Salvador, Goiânia, and Porto Alegre, Brazil. Stool samples were collected from children <5 years of age who had diarrhea and were screened by the Rotaclone Enzyme Immunoassay for the presence of rotavirus. Confirmed rotavirus-positive samples were characterized for P and G genotypes by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 510 stool samples were collected. Of these, 221 (43.3%) were positive for rotavirus. Overall, G9 was the predominant G type, followed by G2, and G1; P[4] and P[8] were the predominant P types. The most frequent G/P genotype combination detected was G2P[4], followed by G9P[8], G9P[4], and G1P[8]. G2P[4] was the predominant type in Goiânia and Salvador; G9P[8] and G1P[8] were predominant in São Paulo and Porto Alegre, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence, seasonality, and genotype distribution of rotavirus infection varied in different regions in Brazil. With immunization programs, continuous monitoring of rotavirus types is important to detect novel and emerging strains.
authors.affiliation: Virology Laboratories, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, MSD Brazil.
authors.forename: Veridiana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Munford
authors.forename: Alfredo Elias
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Gilio
authors.forename: Eloisa Correa
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.forename: Debora Morais
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.forename: Divina das Dores de Paula
authors.initials: Dd
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.forename: Ana Maria Tavares
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Borges
authors.forename: Paulo Sergio Sucasas da
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Irene Angela Melo
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Melgaço
authors.forename: Humberto
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.forename: Paulo Roberto Antonacci
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Marcelo Zubaran
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Goldani
authors.forename: Edson Duarte
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.forename: Ciria
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Santana
authors.forename: Antoine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: El Khoury
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ikedo
authors.forename: Maria Lucia
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Rácz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000145:classification; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D012621:Seasons