title: Surveillance and molecular characterization of group A rotaviruses in Goroka, Papua New Guinea.
abstract: In this study, we investigated the molecular epidemiology of group A rotaviruses in cases of acute gastroenteritis in Goroka, Papua New Guinea. From April 2008 through November 2010, 813 diarrheal stool samples were collected from children < 5 years of age hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis. Rotavirus antigen was detected in 31.2% of samples using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Genotyping revealed the presence of the globally circulating strains G1P[8] (50.0%), G3P[8] (23.0%), and G2P[4] (8.2%). The globally emerging strains G9 and G12 were detected in 1.2% and 6.1% of samples, respectively. Mixed infections were detected in a high proportion of samples (11.9%), with 9.0% and 3.7% of samples displaying multiple G and P genotypes, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Goroka, Papua New Guinea. paul.horwood@pngimr.org.pg
authors.forename: Paul Francis
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Horwood
authors.forename: Dagwin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Luang-Suarkia
authors.forename: Sauli
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bebes
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Boniface
authors.forename: Siddhartha Sankar
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Datta
authors.forename: Peter Max
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Siba
authors.forename: Carl Dunn
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Kirkwood
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000821:virology*; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D010219:Papua New Guinea / Q000453:epidemiology; D016865:Reassortant Viruses; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000821:virology*