The molecular characterization of genotype P [ 6 ] rotavirus strains collected from children admitted to hospital with acute dehydrating diarrhoea during a 6-year surveillance period in Taiwan is described in this study. In total, three G4P [ 6 ] strains, one G5P [ 6 ] and one G12P [ 6 ] were characterized by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the VP4, VP7, VP6 and NSP4 genes. Whilst all four genes of the single Taiwanese G12P [ 6 ] strain clustered with the respective genes of globally common human rotavirus strains, the G4 and G5 strains showed remarkable similarities to porcine rotavirus strains and putative porcine-origin human P [ 19 ] strains reported previously from Taiwan. The overall proportion of porcine rotavirus-like strains in Taiwan remains around 1 % among hospitalized children; however, the circulation and sporadic transmission of these heterotypic strains from pigs to humans could pose a public-health concern. Therefore, continuation of strain monitoring is needed in the vaccine era to detect any possible vaccine breakthrough events associated with the introduction of such heterologous rotavirus strains.
Date:
2012-07
Relation:
Journal of Medical Microbiology. 2012 Jul;61(PT 7):990-997.
