ABSTRACT
Rotaviruses are the leading cause of severe gastroenteritis among infants and young children worldwide. Between November 2002 and March 2004, 36 stool specimens of 108 children with acute diarrhea in Bangkok, Thailand were found positive for Rotavirus A (RV-A) by RT-PCR. The 36 isolates were subjected to genotyping by RFLP analysis and direct sequencing of a part of the gene for major outer capsid glycoprotein VP7. The sequences obtained were subjected to phylogenetic analysis. Among the isolates the genotypes G1 (5.6%), G2 (69.4 %) and G9 (25.0 %) were found. Comparison of these results with those of previous studies covering the period of 1982-1999 revealed a changing pattern of RV-A G genotypes and thus contributed to the understanding of RV-A epidemiology in Thailand. Any vaccine to be developed against this virus should target the G9 genotype as one of common global genotypes.
