title: Human rotavirus genotypes causing acute watery diarrhea among under-five children in Benin City, Nigeria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diarrhea is a major cause of childhood morbidity and mortality in the developing countries. Rotavirus is a major cause of acute watery diarrhea.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aims at characterizing the prevalent rotavirus G-genotypes among under-five children presenting with acute watery diarrhea in Benin City, Nigeria.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 470 children <5 years presenting with diarrhea of <2 weeks duration, were over a period of 1 year consecutively recruited for the study. Stool samples were collected for rotavirus antigen detection using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and further analyzed with reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for VP7 genotyping.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Comparing the ability of the two methods to detect rotavirus in stool samples, 65 (13.8%) and 90 (19.2%) of the stools tested positive for rotavirus using ELISA and RT-PCR, respectively. Using VP7 primers, genotypes G1 were detected in 49 out of 90 stool samples (54.4%), G2 in 26 out of 90 stool samples (28.9%), G3 in 19 out of 90 stool samples (21.1%), G4 in 34 out of 90 stool samples (37.8%) and G9 in 8 of the 90 stool samples (8.9%). Some strains were observed to be reactive with 2 or more of the primers yielding dual or triple VP7 genotype reactivity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Rotavirus of varying genotypes as shown cause acute watery diarrhea among under-five children and vaccine with strains peculiar to this environment should be introduced. Techniques such as RT-PCR rather than ELISA, where affordable, should be used in stool rotavirus screening.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Iyoha
authors.forename: P O
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Abiodun
mesh_terms: D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000235:genetics*; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral