ABSTRACT
"New method for molecular typing of human enteroviruses: characterization of ""untypeable"" strains isolated in Madagascar"" : Enteroviruses; members of the family icornaviridae;are responsible for a wide variety of diseases and represent a major public health hazard. Typing of non polio enterovirus (NPEV) infection is traditionally based on a serum neutralization assay. However; this method is time-consuming; labor-intensive; expensive; and may fail to identify antigenic variation. A new molecular typing involving partial sequencing of the genome has been recently developed. In this study; 46 NPEV strains were analyzed; including 37 antigenicaly ""untypeable"" viruses. Partial sequencing of the C-end of the viral capsid protein VP1 and pairwise identity with the prototype strains allow us to assign a serotype for all ""untypeable"" viruses. The result show a large number and wide variety of Coxsackieviruses A which belong to the HEV-C species and also Echoviruses and Coxsackieviruses B of the HEV-B species. This method may be useful to identify all NPEV serotypes in Madagascar and to assess the possible impact of circulating NPEV populations; as we enter the final stage of poliomyelitis eradication."