Genetic Profile of Rotavirus A Among the Acute Diarrhea Infants in Jiuquan Region

Objective To investigate genetic subtypes of rotavirus A prevailed among acute diarrhea infants in Jiuquan,China.Methods From November 2001 to December 2002,204 stool specimens collected from both outpatients and inpatients diagnosed as acute infant diarrhea,were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT- PCR) to identify the rotavirus infection and subtypes respectively,at the Department of Pediatrics,the People's Hospital of Jiuquan.There were 14 gene loci in total of the two rotavirus genes,rotavirus A VP4 and VP7,tested in this research to uncover the major genotypes on the G and P subtypes.Results Enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay results showed that rotavirus A was present in 112 cases out of 204 specimens (54.9%) without gender priority.G type accounted for 82 cases from the ELISA positive samples,which had G1,G2,G9,G1G2 and G1G3 subgroups.Among randomly selected 53 G-positive genotype specimens,38 cases were subtyped as P strain,including P[4] and P[8],and the remaining 15 cases lacked the marker for the P strain.The overlap analysis of G and P subtype for rotavirus A showed that G3P[8] was the dominant (50.0%) type,followed by G1P[4] (15.8%),G3P[4] (15.8%),G1P [8] (10.6%),G2P[4] (2.6%),G1G3P[-4] (2.6%),G1G3P[8] (2.6%) sequentially.Conclusion Rotavirus A was the major pathological agent of the infant and young children diarrhea in Jiuquan,a region where the predominant rotavirus stain was found out to be G3P[8].