Subject(s)
Diarrhea/virology , Genetic Variation , Rotavirus Infections/virology , Rotavirus/genetics , Africa, Western/epidemiology , Amino Acid Sequence , Base Sequence , Child, Preschool , Diarrhea/epidemiology , Gene Expression Regulation, Viral , Humans , Infant , Molecular Sequence Data , Prevalence , Rotavirus/immunology , Rotavirus Infections/epidemiology , Viral Proteins/genetics , Viral Proteins/metabolismABSTRACT
An epidemiological survey investigating the prevalence of rotavirus infection in infants and young children with acute diarrhoea was undertaken in Jos State, Nigeria, between January 1998 and April 1999. In total, 672 faecal specimens were collected from children aged between 1 and 60 months with acute infantile gastroenteritis. The 10-20% stool suspensions were examined by an ELISA for the presence of group A rotavirus antigen (Rotavirus IDEIA, Dako, UK). Only 116 specimens (17.3%) were positive for the group A rotavirus antigen detected by this ELISA. The rotavirus-positive specimens were analysed with monoclonal antibodies specific for rotavirus VP6 subgroup I and II, and for VP7 serotypes G1-G4, G8, and G9. Of the rotavirus strains that could be subgrouped, VP6 subgroup I and II strains circulated at similar levels. Amongst the strains that could be serotyped, VP7 G9 strains predominated occurring in 17 cases, with G3 (n = 10) and G1 (n = 9) strains occurring in lower numbers. Four G8 strains were detected and only one G2 and no G4 strains were identified. This report extends the description of the global distribution of G9 rotavirus strains.
Subject(s)
Rotavirus Infections/virology , Rotavirus/classification , Rotavirus/isolation & purification , Antibodies, Monoclonal/immunology , Antibodies, Viral/blood , Antigens, Viral/immunology , Child, Preschool , Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Nigeria/epidemiology , Rotavirus/genetics , Rotavirus/immunology , Rotavirus Infections/epidemiology , Rotavirus Infections/immunology , SerotypingABSTRACT
A survey investigating the prevalence of rotavirus infection in infants and young children with acute diarrhoea was undertaken in Jos State, Nigeria during the first half of 1998. In total, 182 faecal specimens were collected from children aged between 1 and 60 months with acute infantile gastroenteritis. Examination with a commercial ELISA assay for the presence of group A rotavirus antigen revealed 16 specimens positive for this antigen. However, examination of the double stranded RNA of the viral genome by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed the presence of three human group C rotaviruses. This is the first report of group C rotaviruses in Nigeria and West Africa.
