title: Unexpected spreading of G12P[8] rotavirus strains among young children in a small area of central Italy.
abstract: Rotavirus gastroenteritis is associated mainly with the five genotypes G1,3,4,9P[8] and G2P[4] that are common worldwide, but emerging strains including G6, G8, and G12 are also reported sporadically. G12P[8] rotavirus was observed unexpectedly to spread in a limited area of Italy during the rotavirus surveillance season 2012-2013. All strains were genotyped for VP7 and VP4 and subjected to phylogenetic analysis. Amino acid sequences of antigenic regions were compared with vaccine and field strains. G12P[8] strains were detected in the stools of 52 of 69 (75%) children infected with rotavirus in the central Italian region of Umbria. All G12 strains belonged to lineage III, and presented the P[8] genotype. Sequence analysis showed close nucleotide identity of both VP4 and VP7 genes among Umbria G12P[8] strains. The VP7 gene was also similar to other G12 strains circulating in different years and countries, and the VP4 gene was closely related to other local and global P[8] strains possessing different G-types. Overall findings suggest either the introduction and evolution of a G12 VP7 gene into the local Wa-like rotavirus population or the spreading of a strain novel for the area. Comparison of the VP8* and VP7 antigenic regions showed high conservation between the amino acid sequences of Umbria G12P[8] strains, and revealed various substitutions in the VP8* antigenic regions between the Italian G12P[8] strains and RotaTeq™ and Rotarix™ vaccine strains. The sudden and unexpected emergence of G12P[8] rotavirus confirms that these strains have the potential to become a sixth common genotype across the world.
authors.affiliation: National Center for Research & Evaluation of Immunobiologicals, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Delogu
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ianiro
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Camilloni
authors.affiliation: National Center for Research & Evaluation of Immunobiologicals, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fiore
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Franco Maria
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Ruggeri
mesh_terms: D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D005838:Genotype; D060005:Genotyping Techniques; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017385:Sequence Homology
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D036022:Capsid Proteins; C060339:VP4 protein, Rotavirus; C050779:VP7 protein, Rotavirus
keywords: G12P[8]; Italy; gastroenteritis; rotavirus A; sporadic, outbreak; surveillance