title: Dominance of emerging G9 and G12 genotypes and polymorphism of VP7 and VP4 of rotaviruses from Bhutanese children with severe diarrhea prior to the introduction of vaccine.
abstract: A prospective study was performed to determine the molecular characteristics of rotaviruses circulating among children aged <5 years in Bhutan. Stool samples were collected from February 2010 through January 2011 from children who attended two tertiary care hospitals in the capital Thimphu and the eastern regional headquarters, Mongar. The samples positive for rotavirus was mainly comprised genotype G1, followed by G12 and G9. The VP7 and VP4 genes of all genotypes clustered mainly with those of neighboring countries, thereby indicating that they shared common ancestral strains. The VP7 gene of Bhutanese G1 strains belonged to lineage 1c, which differed from the lineages of vaccine strains. Mutations were also identified in the VP7 gene of G1 strains, which may be responsible for neutralization escape strains. Furthermore, we found that lineage 4 of P[8] genotype differed antigenically from the vaccine strains, and mutations were identified in Bhutanese strains of lineage 3. The distribution of rotavirus genotypes varies among years, therefore further research is required to determine the distribution of rotavirus strain genotypes in Bhutan.
authors.affiliation: Public Health Laboratory, Department of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Thimphu, Bhutan.
authors.forename: Sonam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wangchuk
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Yufu, Japan.
authors.forename: Marcelo T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Mitui
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Jigme Dorji Wangchuk National Referral Hospital, Thimphu, Bhutan.
authors.forename: Kinlay
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tshering
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Yufu, Japan.
authors.forename: Takaaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yahiro
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Mongar Regional Referral Hospital, Mongar, Bhutan.
authors.forename: Purushotam
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bandhari
authors.affiliation: Public Health Laboratory, Department of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Thimphu, Bhutan.
authors.forename: Sangay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zangmo
authors.affiliation: Public Health Laboratory, Department of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Thimphu, Bhutan.
authors.forename: Tshering
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dorji
authors.affiliation: Public Health Laboratory, Department of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Thimphu, Bhutan.
authors.forename: Karchung
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tshering
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Yufu, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Yufu, Japan.
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nishizono
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Yufu, Japan; Research Promotion Institute, Oita University, Yufu, Japan.
authors.forename: Kamruddin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ahmed
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D001631:Bhutan / Q000453:epidemiology; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000235:genetics*; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000517:prevention & control; D022243:Rotavirus Vaccines
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D036022:Capsid Proteins; D022243:Rotavirus Vaccines; C060339:VP4 protein, Rotavirus; C050779:VP7 protein, Rotavirus