title: Introduction and prolonged circulation of G12 rotaviruses in Sicily.
abstract: Genotype G12 strains are now considered to be the sixth most prevalent human rotaviruses worldwide. In two Sicilian cities, Palermo and Messina, surveillance of rotavirus circulation performed since 1985 and 2009, respectively, did not detect G12 strains until 2012. From 2012 to 2014 rotavirus infection was detected in 29·7% of 1647 stool samples collected from children admitted for acute gastroenteritis to three Sicilian hospitals in Palermo, Messina and Ragusa. In 2012, G12P[8] was first detected in Palermo and then in Messina where it represented the second most frequent genotype (20% prevalence) after G1P[8]. Thereafter, G12 strains continued to circulate in Sicily, showing a marked prevalence in Ragusa (27·8%) in 2013 and in Palermo (21%) and Messina (16·6%) in 2014. All but one of the Sicilian G12 strains carried a P[8] VP4 genotype, whereas the single non-P[8] rotavirus strain was genotyped as G12P[9]. Phylogenetic analysis of the VP7 and VP4 sequences allowed distinction of several genetic lineages and separation of the G12P[8] strains into three cluster combinations. These findings indicate independent introductions of G12 rotavirus strains in Sicily in recent years.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion Sciences and Mother and Child Care,University of Palermo,Italy.
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Giammanco
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion Sciences and Mother and Child Care,University of Palermo,Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bonura
authors.affiliation: ARNAS Ospedale Civico e Di Cristina,Palermo,Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: DI Bernardo
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Pathology, Unit of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology,University of Messina,Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cascio
authors.affiliation: Service of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine,ASP7,Ragusa,Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ferrera
authors.affiliation: ARNAS Ospedale Civico e Di Cristina,Palermo,Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dones
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion Sciences and Mother and Child Care,University of Palermo,Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Saporito
authors.affiliation: ARNAS Ospedale Civico e Di Cristina,Palermo,Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Collura
authors.affiliation: ARNAS Ospedale Civico e Di Cristina,Palermo,Italy.
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Terranova
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics,Gynecology,Microbiological and Biomedical Sciences,University of Messina,Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Valenzise
authors.affiliation: Unit of Clinical Pathology and Microbiology,Ospedale Civile,Ragusa,Italy.
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Allù
authors.affiliation: Service of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine,ASP6,Palermo,Italy.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Casuccio
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Epidemiological Observatory Activities (DASOE),Sicilian Health Authority,Palermo,Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Palermo
authors.affiliation: Institute for Veterinary Medical Research, Centre for Agricultural Research,Hungarian Academy of Sciences,Budapest,Hungary.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bányai
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine,University Aldo Moro of Bari,Valenzano,Italy.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Martella
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion Sciences and Mother and Child Care,University of Palermo,Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: DE Grazia
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002947:Cities; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010802:Phylogeny; D015995:Prevalence; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012802:Sicily / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D036022:Capsid Proteins; C060339:VP4 protein, Rotavirus; C050779:VP7 protein, Rotavirus
keywords: G12; Sicily; rotavirus