title: Antigenic and molecular characterization of unusual rotavirus strains in Burkina Faso in 1999.
abstract: Thirty-six of 37 rotavirus strains recovered from the diarrheal stools of 166 children <3 years of age in Burkina Faso were characterized at both the antigenic and molecular levels. The rotavirus strains were confirmed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; 30 displayed predominantly short electropherotype patterns, and 6 had a long RNA pattern. The strains were subgrouped by monoclonal antibody enzyme immunoassay for VP6 and were typed as subgroup I (29 of 30 short rotavirus strains) and subgroup II (5 of 6 long strains). The VP7 serotyping and genotyping showed that all 6 viruses with long electropherotype patterns were G1. The short strains were determined to be VP7 serotype G2 by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 27 strains and nucleic acid sequencing of selected strains, although only 1 reacted with the G2-specific monoclonal antibodies. Finally, the short patterns were shown by the PCR genotyping method to be VP4 genotype P[6], and the long patterns were shown to be P[8]. The predominant strain found in Burkina Faso in this small study was an unusual G2P[6] strain that showed a short RNA electropherotype and VP6 subgroup I specificity and failed to react with a panel of G2-specific monoclonal antibodies.
authors.affiliation: University of Limpopo, Pretoria, South Africa. dsteele@path.org
authors.forename: A Duncan
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Steele
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Page
authors.forename: Mariet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Beer
authors.forename: Souleymane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sawadogo
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D002050:Burkina Faso / Q000453:epidemiology; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D010802:Phylogeny; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D036022:Capsid Proteins; C061332:VP6 protein, Rotavirus; C050779:VP7 protein, Rotavirus